Child of the Night
by DayLightDove
Summary: (AUish) What if Adrian was younger, both physically and mentally, when his mother was killed. What if he had been with her both when she was taken and when she was burned? His father rescued him and now has Adrian with him in the castle as he rages war, wanting to protect his traumatized little boy. How will this change things?
1. Chapter 1

**Ok so this is a new story.**

**So if any of you know me, I like doing aus, especially of my fav characters. This is now like, the third time I've deaged a character for the sake of a story sooo, yeah. **

**Anyway, Adrian/Alucard is younger in this both physically and mentally (in contrast to Youthful Soldier where it was just physcially) and I'm just going to see where this goes.**

**I don't own Castlevania.**

**Onto the story!**

* * *

As the old woman knocked on the door of the home, the door opened to show a young blonde boy peeking through the gap between the door and the frame before he smiled and opened it wider for the older woman.

"Mrs. Truvara! Hello!" The twelve-year-old by called to her as he opened the door a little wider.

Mrs. Truvara smiled, "Hello, Adrian. Is it alright if I come in?"

Adrian nodded with a smile and allowed the elderly woman to enter his home as he closed the door behind her. After that he turned to her with a smile. "I'll go get my mom for you."

"That would be lovely, dear, thank you." Mrs. Truvara said as she sat down at the table near the fireplace.

Adrian dashed off to the kitchen area, a place his mother used both for making the two of them dinner as well as working on her medicines, and entered to find his mother going over one of the books his father had given her.

"Mom, Mrs. Truvara is here." The boy called getting his mother to look up from what she had been going over for no doubt the one-hundredth time.

"Oh? Thank you Adrian, I'll be right out." Lisa said as she stood up from her seat. She moved over to the much smaller fire burning in the kitchen and quickly brewed up a cup of tea for her guest. Looking at her son, she smiled at him. "Why don't you stay in here for a few minutes while we talk, ok? You can read some of your father's books if you'd like."

The boy's golden eyes shined at her words, his excitement for being able to learn more easily expressed to his mother. "Ok, thank you mother!"

Lisa just chuckled as she left the room listening to Adrian scurry off to sit in the chair she had previously occupied. After a few minutes of talking to Mrs. Truvara and learning more about her symptoms, Lisa headed back into the kitchen to wash her hands and get the medication the woman needed for her cough and lungs.

"Can leaves really be used as a medicine?" Lisa looked over at her son who was looking at her curiously. She shouldn't be surprised by this question, as with her child's advanced hearing it isn't the first time he's over heard her conversations with her clients.

"What have I told you about eavesdropping?" Lisa asked, raising an eyebrow at her son.

Adrian looked down in embarrassment. "Not to do it unless I absolutely need to." He replied before trying to defend himself. "But I couldn't help it! You're so close and everything you talk about is so interesting and I can't help but focus on it!"

"You still shouldn't do it." Lisa chided before smiling at her son. "But I won't stop your curiosity. As for your question, so leaves can be used as medicine, but most of the time only if they are given the correct corresponding elements of the medicine your making, and if they are safe to use. Just plain old tree leaves by themselves typically won't do anything to help."

Lisa couldn't help the smile on her face as she watched Adrian soak up all the information she had given him. The boy was just like his parents, so curious about the world but at least he should be able to learn as much as he wants. Due to his mixed nature between a vampire and a human-as well as the fact as no dhampir had ever be conceived before Adrian and lived-it was hard to say how his years would be. Vampires-after turning-do not age, while humans do. So far, his aging has been at random, sometimes aging two years in two months while other times staying the same age for over a year. Currently, the boy appeared to be about twelve to thirteen years old while his mentality was closer to the amount of years he's actually been alive for which was around nine-years-old. Now, his brain seemed to still be growing in accordance to his body-at least as far as she and her husband knew-but the boy still had to learn about new things. Honestly, Lisa wouldn't be surprised if her intelligent son actually knew more than children with both his mentality and his physical age with how much he read and asked questions about.

"Now," Lisa said as she walked over to the book on the table in front of Adrian. "I believe that Mrs. Truvara needs a specific type of medicine that has mold in it." Lisa said, scanning the book before finding what she was looking for. "Ah, yes, there it is. This shouldn't take too long now, especially since the dray parts have already been mixed up."

"Can I help?" Adrian asked.

Lisa hummed before nodding. "If you want to go grab me the dry powder for this mixture from the cabinet, that would be very helpful. It's the one with the pink string tied to the top."

"Ok!" With that, her boy was off.

It didn't take long for Lisa to put together the mixture she needed and soon she was carrying it out to Mrs. Truvara. After a few minutes of explaining the medicine to the older woman and convincing her to take it, Lisa was soon leading her to the door. However, the moment she opened it, she instantly knew something was not right. Before her stood five priests, the one in the middle clearly a bishop or some higher priest if his different clothing was anything to go by.

"Mrs. Lisa Tepes." The lead priest spoke, hands behind his back.

"Yes?" She asked before turning to look at Mrs. Truvara. "You go on home now." Lisa watched as the older woman walked down her steps and away, only to pause momentarily to look back before a look from one of the priests cause her to keep moving.

Lisa's attention was brought back to the head of the group when he spoke. "I am an emissary of the archbishop of Targoviste. Do I understand correctly that you serve as a...physician to this community?"

"I'm a doctor, yes." Lisa replied, stressing the doctor part to make her position clear. "Can I help you? Is the archbishop ill?"

The man did not answer her, for his next words were clearly directed at his priests. "You know what to look for."

With those words they were charging into her house. They shoved her out of the way as they moved in, but Lisa decided to ignore this as she followed them, calling after them. "What? What is it? What are you looking for? I will gladly give it to you."

"Silence." The leader spoke up as he entered the house behind her.

"I will not be silence." Lisa protested, her offence at his words seeping into her voice.

"Mom?" Her boy's voice cut in through the chaos and she watched as he stumbled out of the kitchen when one of the priests shoved him out of the way. "Mom, what's happening?"

"It's nothing, sweety," Lisa called to him. "Just let me handle this ok? You don't need to worry." As she spoke, she didn't notice the silent look the leading priest was giving her child and the silent look he gave to one of his priest.

Before they could get any further, the priest who had entered the kitchen came out and called to all of them to look in there. As they entered and spread around, Lisa staying close to the doorway with Adrian hiding behind her legs, the head priest spoke up once more.

"Satan's tools." He spat at the sight of her tools, looking around. "Make fire, clean it out."

"What?" Lisa gasped and she could feel her boy tense up behind her.

"We were told something was wrong here." The man spoke as he turned to look at Lisa. "What are you doing here that you need to subject the good people of this land to such fearsome engines?"

"Mom? What is he talking about?"

"I-I don't know." Lisa said, turning to look at Adrian for a brief moment before looking back. "I don't understand what you're talking about."

The man scoffed. "Look around you. Do you pretend these things are not witchcraft?"

Just then one of the other priests and moved to touch a machine that was used to help mix her medicines faster and better. Currently within the clamps were vials of blood she had prepared to mix in with Adrian's food so he never had to worry about going out to hunt without his father here. Watching the man scream at how it moved on its own was insanity to Lisa.

"What is this?" The leader questioned as he drew closer to Lisa.

"I-It's medicine." Lisa defended, backing up. She could tell by a soft growl from Adrian that her son did not approve of the intimidating posture he was giving his mover, but Lisa was quick to move her son out of the way and give him a quick shake of her head.

"How could engines of the devil be medicine?"

"Its old medicine." Lisa defended when she backed up into the table with the book. Looking back she was quick to grab it and hold it up. "Old sciences lost to history. I have-I mean I've studied times past and learned ways to serve our people more effectively. That's all."

He scoffed. "Paganism." And he let the book drop to the ground with a thump.

"No!" Lisa once again cried, not noticing the priest nearing her child as she spoke. "It's just...science. It has nothing to do with any god or-!"

"Nothing to do with God?" The priest question, rage clearly on his face.

"No! That's not what I meant!" Lisa tried to defend herself but she felt two of the other priests close in on her.

"Take her to the cathedral at Targoviste, there shall be an inquisition." As the men gripped her arms, she heard her boy cry out for her.

"Mom! Hey, stop it! Hey!" She looked over to see another priest had come up behind her child and gripped his arms. Adrian growled at the man, clearly showing his fangs and bright gold eyes as he used his strength to break away. As he turned to look at his mother, the young boy was suddenly hit with a splash of holy water from the leading priest in front of him, causing him to cry out at the burns.

"There, even more evidence of your witchcraft!" He cried, continuing to splash holy water onto her son whenever he twitched. "She has corrupted this young boy's soul with her magic!"

"No! Stop it! Please!" She cried, tears coming to her eyes at the torture they were bringing towards her son. "Please! He's innocent!"

"Innocent?" The leader scoffed. "If anything, he can burn with the rest of the magic in this room, that way there will be no trace of it."

"No! Wait! No...no, he's still human!" Lisa cried, trying anything to spare her son. "He's still human! Please, spare him!"

"Your emnissy!" One of the priest cried as they looked at her son. "He is not lighting up in flames like the foul creatures do when they are met with the water of God. Perhaps he can be exorcised from her spells on him."

The leader leaned closer to look at the boy and sure enough there only lay splatters of burns across his exposed skin, burns that look as if he had only touch a fire in the process of lighting it to slightly worse burns. The man knew if he was truly corrupted, then his skin would be charred on the spot, no extra drops on an old burn needed. As much as he would prefer to just kill the child here and be done with it, if the people of Targoviste saw that the might of God could even spare those of the devil's grasp then he knew they would run to them and the church even more.

And if the boy did not get cured? Well, they can easily show how deep Satan's grasp can be on the innocent if people decide to turn away from God.

"Alright, we'll take the boy with us. Should he not be saved when the witch is gone, then he will have to die as well."

"What?! No! No, please! Leave him!" Lisa cried, struggling unsuccessfully against the hands that held her. "Spare my child, please! Please...Please don't do this! You don't understand what you are doing! You don't know what you're going to bring upon yourselves if you do this!"

The man narrowed his eyes as he moved away from her child, one of the other priest moving in to deal with him and lift him up. "You dare threaten me?"

"No! Just, listen, please!" Lisa cried, trying to calm herself down but failing every time she sees her child. "Just...just let us go and we'll leave, you'll never see either of us again. Please, I can't promise your safety if you go any further! You've already harmed my boy, any further and...and-"

"You dare menese me with Satan?" With a wave of his hand he spoke. "Get them out of here before I strike her dead." He growled, allowing the priest to begin moving. A low moan drew her attention to her child, being held like a sack of potatoes over one of the shoulders of the priest and burns decorating his arms, legs, and head.

"Please, it's not Satan!" Lisa cried. "If…If you anger him he's worse! Because he's real! Please! He's come so far don't make him do it! Don't make him kill you all! Please! No!" She continued struggling as she was pulled from the kitchen, her ears quickly catching the noises of crashes as they trashed her place of work. However, her concern was no longer focused on that, the noise background music to the horror that was her burned son. Every time the boy would so much as twitch in the other's hold, the one holding him would be quick to bring up his other hand that held a flask of holy water and splash it upon him, making Adrian cry out weakly. Burns that started out as second degree burns worsened when the water would hit the ones already there with each splash.

As they were dragged out of the house, Lisa was forced to wait for the priests inside and watch her home burn before her eyes. Her son was likewise dropped down from his place on the man's shoulder to the ground, the child letting out soft groans at the contact before his slitted eyes widened at the sight of their home.

"No!" He struggled to get free once more, especially when his eyes locked onto those of his mother's. "Mom!"

"Adrian!" She cried, tears in her eyes. She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself as she knew if she were to freak out even more, Adrian would come rushing to her side like the loyal son he is. And she knew if he did that, the priests would be quick to punish her son's movements. "Adrian, I know this is a lot my son, but you need to calm down now, please."

Adrian's wide eyes were shining with his own pain and fear, tears filling up in the gold orbs. He was looking at his mother and his arms were straining to reach her. However, even injured his strength still surpassed those of the priests and Adrian ripped his arms from his captive's hands. The man cried out before quickly pulling his flask out once more and with quick flicks of his wrist was splashing the wicked liquid onto her son once more.

And it wasn't just him either, one of the men holding her joined as well, his own flask of holy water adding to the burns. Adrian's voice cried out and leaked with the pain of the burns, his faster healing doing nothing against that which was created to harm his other half.

"NO! No...please, please stop it! Stop hurting my boy!...Please!" Lisa cried, unable to hold back her tears as she struggled to reach her child, wanting just to hold him in her arms and shield him from the torment of these wicked men.

"Then he should behave." The leader's voice came from the doorway causing Lisa to whip her head to stare at him. The man stood as though he was the true devil with the way the flames burned behind him. "If he would not act out, we would have no reason to harm the child unless it is proven he cannot be saved by our Lord's salvation."

"Please, please just stop hurting him." Lisa wept. "He'll...H-He'll behave so...so please just stop…" she evened with a soft sob.

The man watched her for a few silent seconds before he waved his hand with a signal for the men to stop. The boy was left trembling on the ground, new burns stretching across his body in ways of dots and streaks. Lisa wept for her child's pain.

"Bring them to the wagon." The leader said. "But make sure they remain apart. It will do no go for us if she is able to strength her spells on the boy."

Lisa couldn't find the strength to protest as they dragged her away from her home. Her eyes were only on her son who was once again flopped into another priest's arms and carried off to the wagon hidden a few feet away.

The entire ride to the cathedral, Lisa's mind could only focus on two things: her child and what her husband would do to these people. She did not want him to kill them all, not when he has come so far from when they had first met and how she told him humans were not as horrible as he took them to be. This would ruin all of his progress and, if Adrian made it out of this, she hope it would not taint her poor child's heart.

She did not thrash when they pulled her from the wagon, he mind now focused on wanting to keep her child from any more harm. She did not cry when they cut her hair and stripped her down to her underclothing. The time she spent in the prison cell beneath the cathedral as they built the stake for her to burn at was painful as she lay in a cell across from her child with the bars coated in holy water. There was one priest down there that kept an eye on them at all times and would hush her when she attempted to calm and speak to Adrian.

She did not struggle when they hulled her in front of the crowd, knowing their minds have been too twisted by the poisonous words of these priests to believe anything she has to say. She only struggled slightly as she was bound to the wooden stake but it was after all this as they were about to light the flame that she protested.

For they had brought her son out there to watch her burn.

"No! No, do not let him see this! Please...please! Don't let him see me burn! Please!"

The emissary of the bishop ignored her once more as he spoke, telling the people of all her spells and evil deeds. He spoke of how Adrian would be there to show the power of God and the power of Satan, for he had not 'fallen' completely yet and with the witch's death, he may be saved.

But Lisa did not really listen, for her mind was focus on her wounded child who was once again held by a priest as he stared up at her bound form.

"Adrian...Adrian, my sweet child look away. Please, please do not watch this, I do not want you to watch this." Tears were streaming down her face with her words, thankful for this moment that her son's advanced hearing would allow for him to hear her over the shouts of the priest.

"Mom." Adrian choked out, his own voice wavering with tears.

"Please...Adrian." Lisa sobbed. As she saw the fire come near her, she spoke softly and full of love to her child. "Adrian, I love you." As she said this, they lit the fire.

"Mom? Mom! No! No-No, please, Mom!" Adrian cried, tears falling even faster from his eyes. Adrian could not help but watch his mother as she began to cry out towards his father over the shouts of the people. As the flames began to lick her skin and her cries echoed through the air.

"Please!" She cried. "Spare them! If you can hear...hear me, d-don't harm them-AH!" Her breaths came out as a combination of pants and coughs through her cries of pain and tears. "D-Don't hurt them, plea-Ah-se! They do not know what they...they are doing!"

"Mother!" Adrian cried, his own voice joining her own as he tried to break free of his captor's grip. Despite his injuries, he got free only to be tackled down by more priests and to have more holy water splashed upon him. His anguished cries now filled the air, both from the pain of his wounds and the pain of watching his mother die in a fiery death before him. "AHH!"

"His cries of pain echo that of the witch! Perhaps the evil is forcing its way from his skin!"

Adrian heard the shouts, but he could only focus on his mother. He tried to do as she wished, to not look, but it was so hard when her anguished cries echoed in his ears. He struggled against his captives even more, but this time he tried to follow his mother's wish, he tried not to hurt them as he fought to free himself.

By the time the screams had stopped, Adrian had been unable to help his mother. He could hear them all talking, but his mind was almost numb now as tears continued to freely spill from his eyes. His young mind was struggling to comprehend everything that had just occurred, alongside the amount of burns that coated his pale skin. He knew the priests were all still talking around him-about him-but he couldn't tear his eyes away from the burned skeleton within the flames. He knew each of of those bones from his studies, yet when had to realize that this body of blackened bones before him was his mother, nothing came to him.

The body of bones crumbled to the wooden planks below.

None of this was real, right?

A sudden explosion of fire drew him out of the floaty space his mind had been and his father's angry voice rang in his ears. His father? He was here? Where was he? Was he also in the flaming inferno like his mother?

Screams reached his ears, but it all felt far away. There were more explosions around him, fire falling from the sky, but all this vanished when a black cloak was suddenly around him and he was pulled into a familiar, comforting chest.

"Dad?" Adrian choked out, tears still falling from golden eyes as his hands curled into fists on his father's chest.

"Oh Adrian, by sweet boy." His father's voice spoke. "I am so sorry this has happened. But do not worry, they will pay for what they have done to you and your mother."

"Dad...I-I want to go home."

"Of course, Adrian, of course." With those words he was pulled in even closer and he was whisked away by a spell of fire.

* * *

**So that was that. Basically went from happy and cute to traumatizing Adrian. That's how I work, I have problems.**

**Anywho, this should have more chapters (should being the key term). I hope you all liked it.**

**Feel free to comment or anything else.**

**Until next time! :D**


	2. Chapter 2

**OK so this is a next chapter!**

**Thank you all for your reviews/follows/****favorites!**

**Look! I'm updating this! And I'm going to try to update again cause I kinda know what I want to do for the next chapter!**

**Also...See if you can catch a bit of foreshadowing in there. It doesn't outright say what it will be foreshadowing but it is a start to the hints I'll probably be dropping.**

**I'm also sorry if this chapter seems short. I just liked how it ended.**

**Onto the chapter!**

* * *

Soft feet patted quickly across the castle's floors as the owner of the limbs searched room after room. Golden eyes darted back and forth from each room, a small fang coming out to worry against their bottom lip. Eventually, they came to a familiar room, their father's study, and they poked their head inside only to dart back out at the flames that flickered in the fireplace, a soft whimper leaving their lips.

"Adrian?" Their father called from inside the room at the sounds his advanced hearing was easily able to pick up. "Adrian, come back, what is it my dear boy?"

Adrian took a deep breath and opened his eyes from their clenched position. Clenching his fists, the boy glanced into the room once more only to find that his father was blocking all view of the fireplace from his gaze, letting the blonde relax and step further into view of his father in the doorway.

Dracula let his red eyes drift over his son, his heart clenching at the tense posture of his boy. That night he lost his wife to those cursed humans had not left his son unscarred. Physically, scars left by the holy water that had been splashed continuously onto his son had left their marks. Small streaks and speckles from the water decorated Adrian's body, most prominently on his arms and hands, no doubt due to the boy attempting to block the spray. There was one noticeable scar on his left cheek, a large spot right beneath his eye and a streak then falling from it from where the water dripped down from its original place. The appearance reminded Dracula of a tear, an appropriate appearance due to the atrocities that had been committed that day.

Outside of the physical scars left, Adrian developed a fear of fire, something Dracula was not surprised by. If he was by his father's side, Adrian was less fearful of the flames, feeling safer with his father near him. However, if he ever comes into contact with fire without knowing his father is nearby or is alone, Adrian will either flee or freeze up in terror. Sometimes, such as with the torches in the halls, as long as he didn't see them he was ok. However, there were times the sound of the fire triggered Adrian just as much as the sight, and Dracula was never more thankful that vampires could see in the dark at those times.

Using his power, Dracula made sure no sound or sight of the fireplace behind him was able to show itself to his son. Kneeling down, he tilted his head and offered a smile to the thirteen-year-old. "What would you like, Adrian?"

The blonde twisted his fingers together and a small fang once again worried at his lip. "Um….I wanted to see...if you wanted...to do anything...together?" He asked nervously, knowing that his father tended to be rather busy.

Dracula let out a sigh, his eyes falling sadly. "I wish I could, but I have a council meeting in an hour to go over our strategies for the war. We can do something afterwards, though."

The fang bit further into the lip. "...Ok…"

"I'm sorry, Adrian." Dracula said.

Adrian shook his head, golden locks falling in front of his face. "It's ok...I'll just go do something else."

"Adrian-"

"Really, it's fine!" Adrian said giving his father a hollow smile. "Good luck with the meeting!" With that he turned around and scurried away from the room.

Dracula stared after his son's retreating figure and his heart hurt past the never ending hollowness within. He made his way back to his chair and stared once more into the fireplace. Ever since the humans had taken his love from him, he felt empty inside, even with his son still around. He wanted to be there for him, truly, but the only thing he was truly aiming for was the destruction of mankind. Beyond that, he couldn't see much hope for anything. He tried, really he did to be there for Adrian but he couldn't help the black hole within him that kept him from seeing the joy of having his son still with him.

With a sigh, he turned to look at a picture of his wife. "Lisa, my love, what do I do?"

* * *

Adrian's eyes trailed along the floor as he walked away from his father's study. He didn't know why he was sad at the response he was given. After all, that's all that really happened now a days. He rarely saw his father, the man's time taken up by the war he was raging on the humans. And even when he did get to spend time with his father, it seemed like Dracula wasn't completely there with him, as though something had broken within him. He felt like he's lost both his father and his mother.

He just wanted his father back.

"Mom…" Adrian called out sadly, his gaze falling up a curtain in the hallway. Walking over to it, Adrian pushed the heavy cloth aside to see the outside world. It was currently sunset and Adrian couldn't help but relax at the peaceful landscape before him. A quiet, green field stretched out around the castle and a tree-line to a large forest was in the distance. The place was so peaceful, Adrian would have believed that there was no such war happening at the time.

The war. Adrian frowned at the thought of it. Honestly, he was very conflicted about the war, because not only was it taking his father away from him, but he couldn't help but feel there was something wrong with it. Distantly, he could recall his mother crying out during her execution, crying something about sparing the humans but when he tried to think further on it, more details and unpleasant parts of the death came forth making him clench his eyes shut and start trembling. His mind was being threatened with the old traumas he tried to keep buried, the memories wanting to drag him down into torment.

"Young master?" A voice called to him, breaking him out of his terror and making his eyes snap open. With a gasp, Adrian turned around to find Hector staring down at him with concerned eyes. "Are you alright?"

Adrian blinked up at the pale haired man before he looked down and out of the window once again. "...Yes."

Hector paused for a moment before he leaned against the wall besides the boy. "Young master...if anything is wrong, you can tell me if you wish."

Adrain shook his head, blonde locks shielding his eyes from the other. "No, nothing is wrong. I'm alright, Hector." He could hear the other still hesitating behind him and sighed. "Isn't there a meeting going on?"

Hector watched the young prince for a few moments before answering "...There is...but I don't think the master would be too upset should I be late or miss the meeting if it was due to me looking after his son. Besides, Issac will also be in attendance so one forgemaster will be there."

Once again Adrian shook his head. "No, it's alright Hector. I wouldn't want to disturb my father by taking you away from the meeting. Besides, things may go by easier if you're there, and then father might get a break." Allowing his gaze to leave the veil of hair, the young teen offered a smile. "Thank you for the offer though."

"You are sure you'll be alright?"

"Yeah. I'll...I'll find something to do. I can always practice magic or my swordsmanship or I could even...explore the woods or something." Adrian gave a shrug. "I don't know but I'm sure I'll find something."

Hector seemed to hesitate a few more seconds before conceding. "Alright. Of course, if you wish, you can always let Cezar tag along with you."

Adrian's smile seemed slightly less forced at the offer of the revived pug. "Thank you, Hector."

"Well, I'll be off then." Hector replied as he gave a small bow to the younger male. "Good day, young master."

"Good day, Hector."

Adrian watched the other walk away before letting out another sigh, the smile slipping off his face. He turned his gaze back out to the beautiful landscape before him, taking in the peaceful sight for a short moment before pushing away from the window. He made his way through the quiet and sullen hallways, the air always tense no matter where he was in the castle. He made his way further into the building until he came to a wide, open room with a high ceiling. It was the room he and his father (and his mother back when she was alive) would practice their combat, whether it be through spells, shifting, or sword fighting.

The blonde's hand fell to the sword fastened in its sheath upon his hip. The sword was originally his mother's, ready to be passed down to him when he was older and more trained, but now that she was gone, his father had given it to him so that he would have another way to protect himself should he ever be attacked once again. Of course, with how paranoid Dracula was now due to the loss of his wife and the torture of his child, the sword was enchanted. Should Adrian need to, he could use his mind to wield the blade as an extension of himself and, should it ever come to it, Dracula made it so that the sword would protect his boy even without the teen actively making the sword fight. It was a special enchantment, one that Adrian could not yet comprehend, that would activate in dire situations but only once Adrian called upon the sword, be it by touch or mind. Then, if he was overwhelmed mentally or physically, the sword would act until deactivated by Adrian.

The teen both appreciated the protectiveness and thought it was not needed. After all, for the moment he would not be stepping so close to human towns where such situations would happen. And if humans somehow ever made it here, well, Adrian doubted his father would let them get even a step closer to him.

Pulling the blade from its sheath, Adrian was quick to allow it to hover in the air facing him. Then, he went to a weapons rack off to the side and drew a similar longsword to battle with, his left arm swiftly settling behind his back as he took up his dueling stance. Letting out a quiet breath, the dhampir quickly fell into step as he dueled with his invisible opponent. From there, time passed him by unknowingly as he focused his attention on improving his skills.

At one point as his was finishing striking down a multitude of moving dummies controlled by some of the many gears within this castle, a soft clapping reached his ears. Pausing in his training, Adrian shifted his stance and lowered his sword (which he had returned to his hands as he changed simulations) as he turned to look in the direction of the sound. There, off to the side of the entrance of the room, was a tall, pale woman with a thin and pointed face.

"Can I help you?" He asked, his golden eyes looking into her own piercing blue despite the uneasy feeling he was receiving from her.

"Oh, no, don't mind me." She replied with a thin smile. "I was merely taking a stroll through the castle when I heard you in here. I must say, you are a very skilled young man."

Adrian refused to respond, his eyes continuing to watch this unknown vampire.

"Ah, yes, I must apologize for you most likely do not recognize me." The woman exclaimed when he had refused to answer. "My name is Carmilla of Styria, one of your father's generals. I have only just arrived today to aid your father in his quest and before that I had never entered your home in the time that you dwelled here. I apologize if my new presence unnerved the you in any way, young master." With those words she took a step forward and gave a small bow to him.

"I see." Adrian replied. "But why did you stay and watch. I'm sure I'm not that impressive, especially to a general's skills."

"You underestimate yourself." She replied with a small shake of her head. "You are but only 13 summers and yet you are quite skilled in your combat. In fact, I think it would be a great honor to see you in a real duel, as I do believe you'd be able to hold your own quite well."

"Ah," Adrian sighed as he slipped his sword into the sheath on his side before moving to the control panel off to the side to reset the room. "Thank you, but you'd have to ask my father if I could duel as well as tell him who it would be. To do so without his permission…" Adrian shook his head. "No, he wouldn't be too happy."

"Oh? But surely you are capable enough to do so."

"No, I could risk getting hurt and I don't even want to think what would happen to the one I dueled if that were the case."

"But you'd be practicing and getting stronger. Surely that would show that even if you should be defeated, it would be alright."

"No, it wouldn't." Adrian sighed as he finished moving the levers he needed to in order to fix the room. "My father must be there when I train with another. If he can't be, it is someone who he trusts completely." Then he turned to face her once again. "But you have to understand, he still trains me, very well. He just...he's just worried about me, that's all."

"It's understandable." Carmilla said, moving to stand before the young dhampir, her gaze taking on a soft look. "After all, you are his only child. His only child who had gone through something so...horrible."

At her worlds, a chill went down Adrian's spine at the reminder of the horrifying death of his mother. His eyes fell closed as he tried to shake the memories from his thoughts. His hands clenched at his sides and a cold sweat seemed to break out upon his pale skin. Distantly, it felt like Carmilla had taken a step closer to him and her hand was placed upon his shoulder as if attempting to comfort him. Her words seemed to echo into around his ears.

"He already lost his wife to the flames. What would happen if he were to lose you too?" A touch to the tear like scar upon his cheek seemed so far away and Adrian's breath stilled within his chest. Those horrid memories tried to resurface, tried to hook their claws into Adrian and drag him down into their thick, burning depths.

"But I'm sure your father would never lose you to those beasts." Carmilla's words yanked Adrian from his thoughts and his eyes flickered open to look up into her icy gaze. "After all, he saved you the first time, right? I know he would stop at nothing to keep you safe."

Breath seemed to flood his lungs. Right, his father did save him. His father was doing all of this to protect him, to punish those who had harmed his mother. He had no reason to worry.

"I'm sorry if I caused you any stress with my words." Carmilla spoke up as she took a step away from Adrian. For some reason, he found he could breathe easier with her at a distance.

"No...it's alright." The dhampir replied with a shake of his head. "I...I should get going." As he moved away from her and towards the exit, the vampire spoke up once more.

"I don't mean to keep you long, but I don't suppose you can answer a question for me, if you wish to that is."

Adrian paused at her words, hesitating at the door before turning around to look once more at the female. A short nod of his head was enough permission for her to continue.

"If you don't mind me asking," She continued, a glint in her eye. "Do you know why your father never turned your mother? I asked him earlier, but I was never given a response. If you don't mind answering, I would like to know."

Adrian took in a small breath, not knowing if he should answer the woman. He understood the curiosity as it was one he occasionally heard one of the other vampires mutter back when this had all began-before this really, back when he was able to understand what was being said. A small fang nibbled at his lip as he thought before answering.

"I don't really know." He replied and he caught a shine of dissatisfaction from the other before he continued. "If I were to guess...it was because she didn't want to change and...and dad respected that."

"I see."

"I really have to go now.' Adrian cut in quickly, wanting to get away before she had a chance to drag him back into a conversation. "I...It was nice meeting you."

With that he scurried away. He allowed his feet to take him away, to carry him to where he felt safe. Soon, he found himself in his room and pulling himself up onto his bed. His left hand reached out and found the stuffed wolf his parents made for him and pulled it to his chest. He took a few breaths to calm himself down from that encounter and allowed the warmth of the sun shining in through his window to comfort him.

Unbeknownst to him, blue eyes had gleaned alongside a smirk as he left the training room.

* * *

**So that was that. Yeah, Carmilla is a bitch. Also...did you catch the foreshadowing? I'm not gonna say it, that would be too nice of me. Also, with how outright she asked the thing in Dracula's court when she showed up I figured she wouldn't mind trying to get some sort of reaction from his son as well.**

**Anywho, feel free to comment, ask questions, etc.**

**Until next time! :D**


	3. Chapter 3

**OK so this is a next chapter!**

**Thank you all for your reviews/follows/****favorites!**

**Look! I'm updating this! Again! I'm on a roll with updates. Which is bad because I'm really just procrastinating on final papers but eh. **

**Also because I have now incorporated this into this story:**

"Talking"

_'Thoughts'_

**Onto the chapter!**

* * *

Dracula watched his son draw in the soft grass from his shaded place in the castle. Things had been tense since Carmilla arrived in the castle and he had no doubt she had been keeping an eye on his child. While it was true that she had good advice for the war, she also had to trouble with poking at sensitive subjects or straddling lines. If anything, Dracula tried to keep Adrian in his sight even more since she came along, not trusting her with his boy. He would try to spend time with him, train him even more and just keep his boy in his sight, but it was also hard to do with the council tense as well. The war was taking him away from Adrian and while it always hurt to see his dejected look, Dracula couldn't bring it in himself to take time away from the war and spend some actual bonding time with his son. He could never just join Adrian out for a walk at night or read a book in one of the many lounges. All his time was spent either making sure his son would be safe or dealing with the war.

Any other time was spent staring into the fire.

He couldn't help it, but he just felt so distant from everything but his anger. Even the love he felt for Adrian paled in comparison to the grief and hatred that bubbled within his body.

"My lord," Isaac's voice come from the doorway. "There is something of importance that needs to be discussed with the council."

"Summon them, then." Dracula drawled, his gaze not leaving Adrian. "I will be there shortly."

"Yes master." Isaac replied before Dracula heard his footsteps leave the room. Letting his eyes trail to the picture his son was scratching, he caught sight of the face of his wife staring up from the paper. Grief welled up within his throat once again and he clenched his fists at the resulting feeling. Of course, this was why he was doing this. For his wife and so that his son may live in a world where he did not have to fear for his life from the heathens that currently populated Wallachia and all of the world before them. They were wicked beings who had no place upon this earth.

Turning away from the window, Dracula made his way through the stone halls to the council room. There he found his council speaking quietly with each other and his eyes lingered on Carmilla for a moment before looking away. There was something he didn't trust about her and it may have something to do with the fact that Adrian seemed to be so uneasy around her.

He settled down within his throne, his cheek resting upon his fist as he awaited for the meeting to begin. He heard Isaac stand off to his side before walking towards the center of the room, drawing the gazes of all the vampires present.

"As always, there were attacks prepared against Gresit which have destroyed its population significantly. However, recently there has been a revolt against the attack. One of my scouts had been watching over the progress of the war and reported back to me about just who exactly had helped lead this revolt which promoted the citizens to also force the horde away from the city."

Dracula raised an eyebrow at the report, eyes glinting at the news of his armies being pushed back. "And who was it that lead the revolt?"

"While the exact party members are unknown," Isaac continued. "It is believed that a Belmont was present at the battle."

"A Belmont? I thought they were all extinct?" Carmilla spoke up, disbelief coloring her voice.

"No, we believe that it was a Belmont and another who aided in repelling our forces from Gresit."

"Then, if there is a Belmont left alive then should we not observe the ancestral Belmont home?" Carilla asked, stepping forward.

"Why?" Godbrand asked, raising an eyebrow at the female vampire before jerking back as she appeared in his face suddenly.

"Perhaps on the general notion that the Belmonts hunted the likes of us for fucking centeries! And if there's one left alive then it might have access to the trove of weapons and magical materials talked of across generations but never found, which they used to hunt us through fucking centeries-!" She took a breath before continuing to glare at Godbrand. "Am I making myself clear now?" Then she whipped around to face Dracula upon his throne. "This is your war council my lord? I understand that taking out as many cities as possible is important but the fact that none of them are worried about a _Belmont being alive_ worries me! Surely it should worry you as well, for what if they somehow make it here?! What if they make it to your son!"

"Enough!" Dracula growled, launching up from his seat as his heart dropped at the thought of his son at the hands of one of the most dangerous vampire hunters. "We will deal with the Belmont. Have our hordes keep an eye on the roads to the Belmont home as well as the home itself and any towns they may stop in on the way. Then, while the Belmont is being taken care of we must decide on the town to attack next." He narrowed his eyes as he glared into the icy gaze of Carmilla. "No Belmont will touch my child."

* * *

Adrian looked up at the window he knew his father had been standing in only to feel his heart drop at the empty window. Even if he had not been exactly with him, Adrian didn't mind that he had been watching over him, even risking standing in the window during the day time just so he could keep an eye on his son. Adrian looked down at the picture in his hands, the smiling face of his mother staring up at him. He let one of his hands trace the outer layer of the picture before letting it fall and close the sketch book.

Pushing himself up from the grass, Adrian made his way into the castle to head to his father's main library. It wasn't the largest area of books that had been collected, but it was were many of the magic spells were stored. Dracula had told him that he would be teaching Adrian some new spells later in the day and Adrian figured he could wait there until his father was finished with whatever it was that had dragged him away from the window in the first place.

However as he made his way to one of the staircases that would lead him to the upper levels of the castle, he paused. Maybe he could just stop by the council room to see how long the meeting was going to be. It should be easy to see how much longer it would be due to whatever conversation was happening at the time. Plus, he might catch word of something interesting. His father wanted to keep him out of the war as possible but in truth Adrian wanted to know at least some of what was going on. After all, it was his mother that was killed.

He was grieving just as much as his father even if his father was too busy to see so.

Mind made up, Adrian allowed himself to shift into his bat form, a small, white bat that would hopefully allow him to go unnoticed in the council room. Flapping his wings, Adrian swiftly made his way to the room and settled himself by the door, allowing his enhanced hearing to make up for what he couldn't see. Carmilla's voice reached him first, her voice ranting about the war council before he caught what exactly she was ranting about.

_"A Belmont being alive-!"_

_'A Belmont?'_ Adrian couldn't help but think, his eyes widening at the words. Of course he knew about the Belmonts, it was one of the first things that his father had taught him about when he began learning about their history. Of course, they both thought that there would be nothing to worry about as Dracula had told him that the Belmonts had been hunted down a few years before he had been born and eradicated. But now he was hearing that one was alive?

A cold flash of fear went down his spine, only this fear was not just for himself this time. Of course he was worried about coming across the Belmont, of being hunted down and hurt just as he had gone through last year, but this time he was also worried for his father as well. Villagers and every day humans were no match for his father and his armies, that was true, but a Belmont? That was different. Not only would he be in danger, but his father would be as well, perhaps even more so than Adrian. His human half allowed holy items to not have as much of an effect against him, but against his father? Yes he was powerful but Belmonts trained to hunt down powerful vampires!

Terror was the only thing Adrian felt as he allowed himself to transform back into his human form and push open the doors of the council room. Heads turned as he rushed in but he didn't pay attention to any of them as he made his way before his father.

"Adria-?"

"Are you in danger?!" Adrian cut his father off as he stood before him panting. "Is the Belmont coming to kill you?!"

"Adrian, what are you doing here?" Dracula asked as he moved forward to grab his child only for Adrian to shake his head and step back.

"Is the Belmont coming to hunt you down? To hunt us all down?"

"No, no Adrian we will be fine. No Belmont will be able to reach me let alone kill me. I will be alright, Adrian." Dracula soothed as he stepped forward to his boy once again. This time Adrian allowed the touch and Dracula pulled him to his side before addressing the council. "I will return once I have him settled. In the meantime, discuss the next steps in our attack. I will hear the plans when I return."

With those words, he led the dhampir out of the room, not seeing the look Carmilla had in her eyes as she watched them leave. The doors closed with a bang behind them as they continued through the hallways. Dracula glanced down at his son and saw he was keeping his gaze on the floor as they walked.

"Adrian, this is why I do not wish for you to be at the meetings. What were you doing there anyway?"

Adrian bit his lip. "I wanted to see how long it would be until you were finished. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to act out like that, I was just...afraid."

"Yes, I'm sure it wasn't the most comforting thing to hear." Dracula sighed before looking down at Adrian once more. "But you need not worry. We are safe within our home. No Belmont will reach us here."

"Of course." Adrian sighed but he felt a small wave of relief at his father's words. Of course they were safe. He was foolish to think otherwise.

"Now," Dracula spoke up, grabbing his attention. "Why don't you head to the magical library like we planned and I will meet you there."

"But-"

"Adrian, I mean it. I do not want you at these meetings, especially now when obviously it has upset you so much."

"But it was just the fact there is a Belmont alive!" Adrian argued back. "I would be fine in the meetings. I want to know what it going on."

"No." Dracula growled, narrowing his eyes at the blonde. "I do not want you to be in any part of this war. You are to let me and my generals deal with it."

"But-"

"No!" Dracula growled, the volume making Adrian flinch at the tone. At the boy's response, Dracula sighed and repeated in a lower voice. "No. I do not want you to do anything of the sort. Do you understand?" A nod. "Good. Now, go and wait for me. I should be there soon."

Dracula watched Adrian walked to the staircase he had led him to and waited until his son was out of sight before sighing and turning back to the council room.

* * *

Adrian frowned as he made his way up the staircase, pausing only a moment to look back before continuing onwards. He knew his father wanted to protect him, but he really wanted to be a part of this with his father. He wanted to help, to support his father just as much as Dracula was try to protect him. He knew this was one way his father was showing his grief and he wanted to be able to help his father with it, even if that meant partaking a war that he did not fully understand.

Yet at the same time, there was something inside of him that was relieved at the fact that he didn't have to take part in this war. He had been raised by his mother to care for everyone, human or otherwise. Before a year ago, he had never been afraid of people and what they could do. Sure he knew about things that could happen, but he had never experienced more than just a few angry people. Nothing was every as dangerous or as horrible as what he had gone through with his mother. He had seen the good in people and even now there was some doubt as to the whole point of continuing this war. He knew his mother would have something to say about this war, he knew she had said something about it.

Pain shot through his head and his breath hitched at the memories of last year before he shook off the thought process. With a shaky breath he continued on his way but instead of waiting for his father, he made his way to one of the history books that his father kept, one he knew that held a history of the Belmonts.

Opening the book, he skimmed through the words, wanting to know exactly what things this living Belmont could use to attack his father. He knew there wouldn't be much in terms of what it was exactly the Belmonts had, but at the least past encounters could shed some light upon what it was this Belmont could use.

He knew he didn't have to do this, but if a Belmont had survived the destruction of their home, then who's to say they won't try to stay loyal to their family? He knew his father said they would stay safe but Adrian couldn't help but worry. He had faith in his father keeping him safe, but if he wouldn't let him take part in the war, then he could at least be prepared to support his father against a Belmont.

Time passed as Adrian devoted himself to understanding his potential enemy, diving through the books he had been taught about many years ago. There were times he had to pause and take breaths as some of the encounters recalled methods similar to those used against him and his mother, forcing Adrian to skip over that part should he not wish to be dragged into his memories. It wasn't until he heard the door open to the room once more that he looked up to find his father standing there. Quickly, Adrian shut the book he was reading and stood from where he had been sitting against the book cases.

Dracula noticed the books that his son had been reading and sighed as he moved forward. "Adrian-."

"I know what you said." Adrian cut in with a frown. "I know and I trust you to keep us safe, it's just...I want to be able to help. I can't let you take all of the attacks with me just cowering behind you. You're training me to be able to defend myself and because of that I want to be able to help you should something ever happen! I…" he breathed in deeply. "I couldn't help mom when the attack came...and you won't let me take part in the war, but...but please let me help if you ever get hurt. Please...I..I can't lose you! I can't be helpless again! I...I can't...I-" His voice hitched with his tears as he tried to keep himself from falling to pieces.

"Oh...Oh Adrian. Shhhh." Dracula cooed as he pulled the dhampir into his arms. "You aren't helpless."

"But...But I couldn't help mom and she-!...She….please don't leave me! Dad-!"

"Hush, I won't leave you. It's alright. But Adrian," Dracula tilted his son's head up as he whipped away the tears spilling from golden eyes. "I will do everything I have to in order to keep you safe, do you understand. It is not that you are helpless, Quite the opposite if you ask me. It is just a father's duty to protect his child, surely you understand that."

"I-I do...I just...I can't…" Adrian choked on his words, his emotions and fears bubbling over into his voice. He understood what his father was saying. He understood this when he knew his mother was trying to protect him last year, but at the same time he should be able to do something in return. He was a dhampir damnit! He should be able to help them in some way. He didn't know what he would do if he were to watch his father fall in the same way his mother had.

"I know, I understand." Dracula soothed, giving his son a weak smile. "How about this. We will keep up your training and, if for some reason, we are ever attacked here in the castle, then you may aid in the battle unless I say otherwise. At my words, you will flee, do you understand?"

Adrian frowned, turning his watery gaze to the floor before replying. "Alright."

Dracula sighed. "My you are so stubborn. You must get that from your mother." His words got a sad smile from his son. "Now, let's do what we were here to do and practice magic. Alright?"

"Yes father."

* * *

**So that was that! Lookie! Also, there is more foreshadowing in there than just Carmilla stuff but I'm not gonna say what.**

**Feel free to comment, ask questions, etc.**

**Until next time! :D**


	4. Chapter 4

**OK so this is a next chapter!**

**Thank you all for your reviews/follows/****favorites!**

**Look! I'm updating this! Again! **

**Also because I have now incorporated this into this story:**

"Talking"

_'Thoughts'_

**Onto the chapter!**

* * *

Night fell upon the castle as Dracula stared into the mirror observing the two towns before him. Later in the night they would be having a council on the place they would finally send the horde onto, whether it be Arges or Braila that would suffer the next attack. He looked over to where his son was reading one of his spell books, eyes scanning over the words determinedly.

"Adrian." He spoke, gaining his son's attention. "You should head off to bed now. You've had a busy day."

"Alright." Adrian replied as he closed the book before him. He started to leave the room only to pause and look back at his father for a moment, worry on his face.

Dracula noticed his hesitation and offered a small smile. "It will be alright, Adrian."

The dhampir gave a smile in response before heading out for the night. He made his way down the halls and up to his room. There he slipped his sheathed sword off of his belt and placed it on his bed. He moved over to look out one of his windows for a few moments, before a knock on his door caught his attention.

"Young master?" A voice called from outside of the door making Adrian frown in confusion.

"Yes?"

"Sir, we need you to come with us." the voice spoke again from outside of the door.

"What do you mean? What's going on?" Adrian asked moving to the door but not yet opening.

"Young master, please don't ask any questions. We just need you to come with us now."

"No. I demand to know what is going on."

A sigh. "Of course you'd be difficult."

"Wha-?" His inquiry was cut off as the door was forced inward and the air was knocked from his chest as his back slammed into the wall behind him. Before him, four men with one dressed in the armor that he recognized as Carmilla's guards entered his room. They each were looking down at him with dark expressions.

However, before Adrian could act, one of the men before him summoned a flame within his hand and the dhampir froze as fear overcame him. His breath that he had just regained stuttered in his chest. He couldn't tear his gaze from the flames flickering before him, couldn't block the sounds of fire from his ears.

"Heh, it's like she said, he really is terrified of fire." One of the men scoffed to the one holding the fire before moving towards Adrian's frozen form. "Come on, lets do this quickly because I'm sure that our entrance caused quite a lot of noise." However, the moment his hand brushed the dhampir's arm, Adrian's eyes widened in fear and soon the man was jumping away from a slashing of claws.

"NO! Stay away!" Adrian cried, lost to him terrifying thoughts as he fought back the phantoms of the priests. "Stay away from me!"

"Shit!" The man hissed, baring his fangs at the boy in frustration.

"Knock him out!" One of the other men hissed back to which he got a glare in return.

"Don't you think I know that!" He hissed back before looking at the flailing child. "Bring the fire closer. I might throw him off and then I might get the chance to knock him out."

As he finished, the vampire wielding the fire came closer causing Adrian to cry out even louder. The two still near the door cursed at that, their attention focused on watching for any new guards that would no doubt come from the commotion.

As Adrian attempted to scramble away from the flames, it allowed the first man an opening he needed. He shot behind the boy and with a quick chop to his neck, the boy was out. Smirking at each other, the second man put out the flame and moved to the window to smash it open so they could make for a quick escape.

"Pass me the kid." The second man said, holding out one of his hands. The first man picked up Adrian and carelessly tossed him to the other vampire who was quick to then launch himself out of the window. The remaining man looked to the two guarding the door before smirking, his hand curling around the discarded longsword on the bed.

"I think I can hear some of the guards heading this way, we need to move quickly." The vampire dressed in the guard's armor stated before letting out a choked gasp as a blade suddenly stabbed him in the side. Turning his gaze to his accomplice, he caught sight of his fellow lookout dead and turning to dust at his feet as well as the first man grinning while holding the blade's hilt in his hand.

"Have to make it look convincing, don't we?" The man smirked as he ripped the blade out. He held it up, admiring the sword. "I gotta admit, the prince has a nice sword. I think I'll be keeping it for myself." With that, he turned and rushed to the window. "See ya."

The guard sneered at the window where the man disappeared. "Bastard." He coughed past his lips as he slumped to the ground in pain, just as a few of Dracula's guards came across the sight and were quick to inform their master.

* * *

The council meeting had been going...better than it usually does and that should have been what tipped him off. They had been making some progress in deciding which town between Braila and Arges that they would be launching their attack on, when a guard suddenly burst into the room.

"What is it?" Dracula asked as he narrowed his eyes at the intruder. Fellow vampire or not, he would have no problems with getting rid of those in the way of his plans.

"Sir, something is happening in young lord Adrian's room." The vampire panted out. "We sent others ahead but-gah!" They were shoved out of the way by Dracula as he rushed from the room, eyes blood red and dread flooding from him.

Rapidly, Dracula rushed towards his sons room, refusing to entertain any idea before he saw the outcome of the situation. However, as his eyes laid upon the empty room behind the busted door and bleeding men, dread fades to rage and his turned to the living vampire bleeding out on the floor.

"What happened here?!" He snarled, teeth bared and eyes soaked in crimson. "Where is my son!?"

"H-He was taken, my lord." The vampire replied, eyes on the ground. "T-Three vampires...t-they took him, I...I think to the humans but...but I don't know why…"

With a roar of anger, Dracula's claws whipped out and sliced into the vampire before him, blood spraying the wall as the life left the guard. Seething, Dracula turned to those behind him, his army and his generals watching on as he took out his anger.

"They will pay for what was done tonight." He growled. "I want them hunted down, I want them all slaughtered until my boy is back in my arms. Send out every last vampire and demon, send them out to every last town and every last city until the roads are bathed with blood."

"Should we not take a moment to think about this?" Carmilla spoke up, her eyebrow raising in question. "Sending out every last soldier at our disposal with not plan can end with disaster."

"I do not care if it is to end in disaster." Dracula hissed. "I do not care who gets in my way. What I care about is that my son is returned to me alive! If you are planning on standing in my way then I will not hesitate to make you move, do you understand?" As he spoke, he moved so that his form was towering over the female vampire, bathing her in his shadow.

"I do not mean to stand in your way." Carmilla spoke, her eyes moving away and her head turning down to show her subservience. "I merely wish to aid you in your son's recovery, but I do not think that acting rashly with achieve that. I'm sure just as my men attempted to stop the kidnapping, they will surely aid in returning him to you. But we must plan for this. Surely you can see where I am coming from, my lord?"

Dracula stared down at her before turning and stalking his way past his generals. "I don't care. I will hold off on a complete attack for now, but that does not mean I will not be sending out swarms to find my son. If you do not have a feasible plan within the next two days, my army will be sent out whether you care about a plan or not." With one last look at her, Dracula walked away from the crowd, calling his forgemasters after him.

"I don't get it." Godbrand spoke up as he took in the state of the room after Dracula was long gone. "Why would vampires kidnap the kid?"

Carmilla shrugged. "Perhaps the humans convinced them somehow. Wouldn't surprise me if they had thoughts that went against our Lord's plans."

"Sure, but why take the brat?" Godbrand continued. "I've done my fair share of enacting revenge and I know that if you wanted him to see the death of his kid, they should have just killed him here and left Dracula to clean up the mess. If you ask me, it would have the same result."

"They probably took him as either a way of trying to bargain with Dracula or even as a threat. Perhaps they even have their own plans for the boy, I wouldn't know." Carmilla replied, hands on her hip. "What I do know is that, this is at least a better situation than if the boy had died right before our eyes."

"And why is that?"

"Think, if Adrian had been killed with no hope for Dracula to get him back, he would have gone on a rampage and there would be a high chance we would be in the collateral."

"Yeah, but he's already going on a rampage." Gadbrand huffed.

"Yes, but if his son would have been killed, the extermination of the human race would be inevitable." Carmilla paused. "Or at least, more inevitable than it already is. This way, we can at least by time by helping his look for his son."

"Wait, what do you mean by 'more inevitable'? Surely he isn't planning on wiping out the entire human race." Godbrand protested. "What would we eat?!"

"Surely you notice by now all of the blood we've been given has been that of animal blood, haven't you?" Carmilla pointed out. "I'm positive that this has been his plan all along."

"Well, than what do you propose we do about it?"

Carmilla smirked. "What we need is a plan and time." Her eyes glinted with hidden glee as she looked back at the disrupted children's room "Which is something our Lord's son has given us."

* * *

"Did you cover our tracks?" The tall vampire holding Adrian over his shoulders like a sack asked the other when he caught up to him.

"You could say that." The other vampire smirked as he wiped the bloody blade in the snow.

"Do I even want to ask?"

"Look, we were told to make it look convincing, so I did. Besides," He twirled the blade. "I got a nice sword out of it."

The taller vampire sighed, shaking his head before continuing on running in the direction of human towns with his partner following. "Whatever. We just need to drop the brat off close to a town now, right? Whichever one is closer to the Belmont that was spotted?"

"I don't understand why we don't just kill the brat now and be done with it." The other vampire huffed. "That would make our job a lot easier."

"Yeah, but killing the kid makes an angry Dracula, remember?"

"Last I checked, this probably made him angry."

"Yes, but, remember what Carmilla said? Keeping the boy alive gives her more time to deal with Dracula and take over the whole attack. If the boy dies and it gets back to Dracula before she can do anything? Well, there is a good chance he'll completely lose it. Besides, giving the kid to humans means he has a better chance of surviving."

"Not if we are giving him to the Belmont."

"Well, it's not like she wanted to keep him alive. Just buy some time."

"Whatever."

They continued on their track, easily running past the trees and over hills with their vampiric enhancements. After many miles and many hours, they found themselves coming upon the road the Belmont was last reported being seen upon. The sun had already begun peaking above the horizon, though the men had cloaks to protect them, and they knew that the towns were to the far ends of the road so that while they could not see them, the boy would stumble across them if he follows the road.

"This is a good place to put him, yeah?"

The man carrying Adrian shrugged. "Good enough." With that, he tossed the boy down who groaned at the impact of hitting the ground, eyes scrunching up from the disturbance. "How hard did you hit him?"

The other shrugged. "As hard as I could. We needed to keep him unconscious and the brat is the kid of one of the most powerful vampires out there. I don't think he would have stayed out for the trip if I held back at all."

"Alright, well, we did are part." The first huffed as he cracked his back. "Let's take a break in the shade and when it's safe, we'll leave."

"And just what do you think you two are doing?" A female voice chimed up from behind them making them jump. The vampires whipped around and found a red-haired woman dressed in blue watching them, one of her eyebrows raised pointedly at them.

The two vampires stared at her for a moment before smirking.

"Hello there little lady." The taller vampire smirked. "Don't you think it's a bit dangerous to be talking to strangers in the woods?"

"No, not really." She shrugged. "Especially when it looks like their up to no good."

"Now, now," He smiled as the shorter vampire turned to walk closer to her. "You may want to be a bit more careful with what you're saying. You wouldn't want anything...unfortunate to happen, would you?" He flashed his fangs from underneath his hood at her.

"I could say the exact same thing to you." She replied. However, before the vampire could reply, his taller companion let out a shout and he turned just in time to see the other explode into dusk as a whip cracked at him.

A crackling noise reached his ears and he moved just in time to see a shard of ice fly past him. Baring his teeth at the female, he watched as a brown-haired male came to stand beside her, a familiar crest upon his shirt. His eyes glinted at it, excitement flooding his body because the person they needed to find all this time happened to stumble across them.

"Well, if it isn't the Belmont." He called before pulling out the sword he stole from the dhampir.

"Yeah, yeah," The man huffed with a roll of his eyes. "Look, you can do the whole...gloaty talky thing if you want but I really don't care." Then, with a crack of his whip, he attacked with shards of ice accompanying him.

Hoping the sword would aid him, he brought it up to block the attacks only for it to freeze in the air, resisting his complete strength as he tried to move it.

"What the he-GA!" He choked out as the attacks descended upon him and soon the vampire was no more. The blade fell from his withering grasp and, in a blink of an eye, was beside the now away young dhampir who stared around in confusion and fear before his eyes settled on the two remaining people before him.

"You know, I had it." The female pouted at the male as he gathered up his whip.

"Yeah, well, you should have been quicker."

"Yes, because you were so fast to get them in the beginning."

"Look, I was trying to be stealthy."

"Please, your thundering feet were only hidden due to the fact that I had them distracted." She retorted as she turned away from the male.

"Hey, I think-"

"Oh!" She cut him off as her gaze fell upon the awake dhampir. "Oh, you're awake! That is good!" She cried as she went to move closer only for the teen to scramble away from her, his back hitting the tree behind him. The woman paused in her movements at his actions and help her hands up in a peaceful gesture. "Hey, it's alright now. You're safe."

"Stay back!" The teen shouted in fear, golden eyes wide and shining, though between the two before him, his gaze kept lingering on the male.

"Shush, it's alright, really. You don't need to be scared."

"Wait," the man spoke up, his brow furrowed and his voice wary. "Sypha, hold on a second."

"Not now Trevor!" She hissed back before looking back at the scarred teen. "Ignore him, he's an idiot."

"No, seriously, Sypha-!"

"What is there to be worried about?"

"It's just that-."

"I said stay back!" The teen cried when both of them shuffled forward, Sypha hoping to get closer and Trevor aiming to stop her. Either way, the moment they got closer, the sword at the boy's side sprang up from the ground and positioned itself between the teen and the two older people. The two let out sounds of surprise at the display before Trevor's hand shifted to his whip and the teen's eyes followed the movement.

"This is what I was going to warn you about." He grumbled, eyes focused on the blonde teen. "It's dangerous."

"What are you talking about?" Sypha exclaimed exasperatedly. She motioned to the teen. "He's just scared! So what if he can do magic? That doesn't mean he's dangerous! He's just a scared little boy!"

"No Sypha," Trevor replied, eyes narrowing. "He's dangerous. In fact, the fact that he can do such magic after just waking up and in the day time no less makes him even more dangerous. That right there is no innocent, scared child." He gripped his weapon tighter and the teen returned his glare.

"That right there is a fucking vampire."

* * *

**Look! Sypha and Trevor are here! Yay! And Dracula has lost it even more!**

**Anywho feel free to comment, ask questions, etc.**

**Until next time! :D**


	5. Chapter 5

**OK so this is a new chapter!**

**Thank you all who review/follow/favorite the story! As well as those who just read it!**

**I do not own Castlevania!**

**Onto the chapter!**

* * *

"That right there is a fucking vampire."

An uncomfortable silence fell over the three as Sypha looked between the two who were glaring at each other. Trevor's own eyes never strayed from the teen backed up against the tree who in return never allowed the blade to waver in it's stance.

"Hang on," Sypha said, holding up a hand. "Trevor you can't be serious."

"What do you mean?"

"You can't seriously be considering attacking a child!"

"I told you, that thing is not a child! It's a vampire!"

"That looks like a child!"

"You realize he's probably looked like a child for centuries, right?"

"Unless he was just changed! That would make him a scared, vampire child."

"Why the hell would those two other vampires randomly change a child right before daylight hit?"

"I don't know!" Sypha huffed, her arms failing with her emotions. "Maybe they wanted to make him die from the sun and watch? Because they were cruel? Look, I can't say but the fact remains that this boy could have just been turned!"

"Nope, no way." Trevor denied with a shake of his head.

"What?! Why?!"

"With how steady that sword is, I'd say the brat's been doing this for a while now." Trevor supplied before calling out to the teen backed against the tree. "Oi! Just out of curiosity, how long have you been a vampire?"

"I have nothing to say to you, Belmont." The teen snarled back, the name of the hunter passing his lips like a curse. Between them, the sword shifted forward ever so slightly.

"Someone's a bit snappy." Trevor smirked. "You sure you want to do this? I'll warn ya now, I'm not going to go easy on you just because you look like a kid. And if you haven't noticed," He gestured to where the sun light shone down upon the road and peaked between the trees. "You don't have many places to run to."

The teen said nothing.

"That's what I thought." Trevor gripped the whip tightly as he pulled it off of his belt. "Now, do you want to just sit there and make this easy for me, or are you actually going to use that floating sword of yours?"

"..."

"Alright, easy way it is-WOAH!" Trevor quickly ducked as the sword slashed at his head and his arm snapped out as the whip cracked at the boy. The teen's eyes widened and he moved to avoid the hit and felt the whip graze his cheek before turning and glaring at the hunter. Quickly, the sword moved back in on it's target, directing Trevor's attention to that.

On his part, Adrian felt the sting from the cut, an uncomfortable feeling that seemed to spread through his cheek. He knew the end was made to destroy demons and vampires and other creatures of the night quickly (just as it had done to the two vampires that kidnapped him), and Adrian was thankful that it was due to his mother's side that allowed him to avoid those nasty weaknesses of a vampire.

However, without noticing, ice began to creep up his legs and before he could react, he was encased. He took his attention away from the sword, which continued to fight from his father's enchantment, and focused on breaking out of the ice.

"Can we please just stop fighting for a moment!?" Sypha cried at the two. "I don't think this is right!"

"Tell that to the vampire!" Trevor shouted back as he continued dancing around the sword.

Huffing, Sypha turned to the struggling teen. "Listen, can you stop attacking my friend so we can talk this out? Please, we won't hurt you."

"Tell that to the hunter!" The teen spat, his gold eyes like knives. "He wants to kill me!"

"And I will make sure he stops!" Sypha replied. "Please, trust me."

"No!" He shouted as his struggles continued. "I can't trust you! All you humans every do are hurt and hunt us. All you've ever done is hurt me!"

"But we won't! Clearly something has been misunderstood here and I don't want either of you to be hurt because of a misunderstanding!"

"What's there to misunderstand!?" Trevor shouted over to them. "Clearly this is a vampire who wants to hurt people!"

"I have never wanted to hurt anyone in my life!" Adrian growled. "In fact, you're the first and I only need to kill you because if I don't, you'll kill my dad!"

"We'll that's probably because he is also a vampire, who ever he is!"

"He's just trying to protect me from humans like you!"

"Alright, that's enough!" Sypha exclaimed as she allowed her magic to build up once more as ice, and trap both Trevor to the ground and the sword in a pillar of ice.

"What the hell, Sypha!?" Trevor cried as he gestured to the ice trapping his feet.

"You won't listen to me and because I don't believe that he's," She pointed to Adrian, "going to hurt us. I won't allow you to hurt a child without a reasonable reason to hurt him."

"Reasona-, Sypha, he attacked me!"

"Only because you started it!" She snapped back. "Those vampires took him for a reason and I don't care if he is a thousand years old, but he is a child who was obviously scared and taken by bad people and needed help!"

"Help?! What, are you going to help him hunt people down to drink their blood?!"

"I said I didn't want to hurt anyone!" Adrian spoke up with a growl. "I don't want to hurt you! I don't want to hurt anyone! I...I don't even want to be here!"

"Then why did you attack me?!"

"Because you were going to attack me and if I don't kill you now you'll kill my dad!" Adrian was panting and tears were glinting in his eyes. "You can't kill my dad! I won't let you!"

"Hey, hey, it's ok." Sypha tried to sooth as she walked closer to the teen. "No one is going to hurt your dad."

"But he will! He's a Belmont! It's what he does!"

"Ok, ok, calm down. Trevor?" She called to him. "Will you hunt down his father?"

"No, unless he does something horrible."

"Trevor!"

"What?! I'm being honest!"

"Just let me go." The teen spoke up. "Let me go, and you don't have to worry about me. I just want to go back home."

"And how do we know you aren't going to go storm any of the villages?" Trevor asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I said I don't want to hurt anyone!" The teen snapped back. "Besides I don't...I don't want to go to any villages. They'll just hurt me. I don't want to get hurt again." That last part was whispered, but it made Sypha's gaze soften more and even Trevor turned to look at the bound teen.

"...even if we did let you go," Trevor spoke up, "Wouldn't you still be hunted down? I mean, what was up with those other vampires anyway?"

The teen scowled and Sypha had to resist from cooing at the sight of a small fang biting down at his bottom lip. "I...I don't know. Everything was...fine and then it wasn't."

"They probably want you dead, though." Trevor huffed. "So, even if you're away from me, you're still in danger."

"Then it's settled!" Sypha spoke up with a cheer. "You'll stay with us until you can find your dad!"

"Wait, Sypha, no, no that was not what I was suggesting!" Trevor protested, waving his hands around. "Nothing is settled!"

"Well, why not?" Sypha pouted. "That seems like a reasonable answer to me. You don't want him to wander off, I don't want him in danger, so we'll just travel together."

"How would I be in any less danger traveling with the two of you?" The teen growled. "You are out to kill other vampires and...and Dracula." He choked out his father's name, is chest tight as he thought of his father's death. "How do I know you won't spontaneously kill me or...or kill my dad when we find him?"

"Well, if you-" Trevor cut himself off when Sypha shot him a glare. With a cough he continued. "I mean, obviously we won't hurt you or your dad unless you provoke us."

"Trevor!"

"What?! I'm just being honest with the brat!" He huffed. "Look, we are hunting down Dracula because he is a bad monster doing really shitty things, you know like destroying an entire race of people. We are hunting down other demons and vampires because they are also doing really shitty things. Ok?"

"Trevor!"

"Oh, come on! What now?!"

"Don't swear in front of the child!"

"Seriously?! Hey, brat!" Trevor called over to the vampire. "Tell Sypha how old you are so I can stop getting yelled at by her!"

Adrian let his eyes flick between the two of them, contemplating how he wanted to answer. Did he want to give them the truth or let them believe what they wanted. Then again, watching the Belmont suffer was quite satisfying.

"I'm 10."

Silence.

"What?!"

"Oh fuck! You're joking, right?!Please tell me you're actually 100 or something like that?!"

"But you look like you're 13!"

"I age quickly."

"No, no, nonononono, please God no!" Trevor bemoaned.

"That's it! You're definitely coming with us now!" Sypha decided. "We are not leaving you by yourself!"

Maybe he shouldn't have said that, no matter how worked up the Belmont got. "I can handle myself just fine."

"Says the kid who was captured." Trevor muttered getting a glare in return.

"I was caught off guard!"

"What, was daddy not there to protect you?"

"Keep talking Belmont, see where it gets you."

"Oh, someone has an attitude. I think the little brat needs to be spanked."

"Try and you lose a hand."

"Is that suppose to be threatening? What, are you going to bite my hand with those little baby teeth? Use those wittle cwaws of yours." Adrian bared his teeth at the baby talk.

"Would you like to see what these teeth can do?"

"No! There will be no biting anyone!" Sypha cut in, glaring at the two for their behavior. "Trevor, you are supposed to be an example for him!"

"Oh, right, because clearly he understands that biting people is wrong." Trevor replied sarcastically.

"I'm not a monster!" Adrian spoke up.

"Right." Trevor drawled.

"Behave." Sypha scolded before looking back at Adrian. "Ok, I understand why you are hesitant about coming with us, but I promise you we will NOT," at her emphasis she glared at Trevor. "Hurt you. We can help you stay safe until you either find your father or we find a safe place for you to reside until this fight is over. Please trust me."

Adrian allowed his golden eyes to meet her own. While he still did not feel safe about staying so close to the two of them, especially the Belmont (how could he not with all the history he had been taught about the other), he did understand that they could bring him closer to home without the risk of running into either villages or other creatures of the night that have betrayed his father. After all, they were headed to the castle and that meant when they were close enough, he could take the chance to slip away or even wait until he comes across those working for his father to take him away.

"Ok." He mumbled. "I'll go with you."

"Really?!"

"Well that's just fucking great."

"Wonderful!" Sypha clapped her hands in excitement. "Oh, then you can follow us to our wagon! I wonder if we have anything that will fit you or at least an extra cloak for you. Probably not, though, so we'll need to stop by the nearest town to find something-"

"Um, Sypha?" Trevor called to her as she started walking back into the forest towards where they had kept their waggon."

"Hm?"

"A little help?" He asked and he used his head to gesture at the ice still trapping both him and the teenager.

"Oh! Right, sorry!" Sypha apologized. With a wave of her hand, the ice turned to water and let the two captives free. Shivering, the two males collected themselves and Trevor watched the blonde as the sword flew into his hand so that it could be sheathed. With hesitant steps, Adrian began following Sypha deeper into the forest with Trevor following behind.

"So...what is your name?" Sypha asked, sending Adrian a smile. "My name is Sypha Belnades of a Speakers Clan and, obviously, you already know who Trevor is."

Adrian let his gaze look over her blue robe. "Speakers...I know that. It...it was in a few of the history books my father had. You're of...a nomadic people, right? People who gather knowledge by word of mouth?"

"That's right." Sypha exclaimed, the smile becoming wider on her face. "And you are?"

The dhampir bit his lip in contemplation and his eyes drifted to the ground. "...Adrain." He mumbled.

"That's a nice name!"

"What? No last name?"

"Trevor."

"What?" The hunter through his hands up in the air in frustration. "It's an easy question! Besides, how else would we find his father than?"

Sypha just shook her head and sighed before turning back to the younger male. "Could we know your last name? It would help us help you."

Adrian hesitated. He didn't know if these two would recognize his surname or not. If they did, would they also connect that back to his father? True, his mother did not broadcast to the world that she married a vampire, but the church had known her name when they came for her right? Did they also tell the people when she...when she…

His breath stuttered in his chest as he tried to both remember if that night his last name was told to the world and at the same time fight off the horrible memories that plagued his dreams and waking moments.

Sypha and Trevor took notice of the sudden stillness of the teen besides them.

"Hey, kid? You alright?" Trevor called, his eyebrow raising in question as Sypha knelt down in front of him to try to get his attention.

"Adrian?: Sypha called. "Adrian? Are you alright? Hey, you don't need to tell us your surname, alright? Hey, everything is going to be ok." She reached out to touch him, her voice still softly calling out to him, only for Adrian to flinch away from her hand.

"Tepes!" He choked out as he flinched, his mind coming back to the present. At this point, he didn't care what was coming out of his mouth, all he cared about was leaving those memories behind.

"Tepes?" Sypha asked. "As in, that is your surname?" She got a nod in return. "Ok. Thank you for telling us, but are you alright?"

"I'm fine." Adrian bit out.

"Are you-?"

"I'm fine!" With that, the teen continued to walk forward.

Sypha turned to look back at Trevor who was pointing at the back of the blonde while mouthing, "_what the hell was that?"_

"_We'll talk later._" Sypha silently replied back, both of them aware that the boy would have advanced hearing. As worried as she was, Sypha knew talking about it now would only further push Adrian away. Vampire or not, he was a child and she wanted to help him.

The three continued to walk on the path to the wagon silently, with Adrian taking the silence to calm himself down as best as he could what with the entire situation at hand. As they came upon the clearing they hid the wagon in, Sypha's hand shot out before Adrian to stop him from walking into the sunny area.

"Wait!"

"Oh, what now!?" Trevor groaned.

"It slipped my mind!" Sypha cried, her eyes flicking between Adrian and the sunlight frantically. "Oh, I can't believe we almost let you walk out into the sunlight?! Let me go grab a blanket from the wagon."

"It's fine." Adrian spoke up as she began making her way to the wagon. He stepped forward into the sunlight, following after Sypha, and leaving the two staring at him in shock.

"Um, why are you not burning?" Trevor asked after staring for a few seconds. "Because last I checked, vampires couldn't walk into fucking sunlight."

"I can."

"But why?!"

"Because I'm only half vampire." Adrian replied as if it was obvious.

"Excuse me?!"

"That's possible?!" Sypha exclaimed, looking overjoyed at the knowledge she was just given. "That is amazing!"

"You're saying that _you_," Trevor thrusted a finger at the teen. "Are only half vampire!? Like, a human and a vampire decided to get together and out came you?!"

"I guess?" Adrian replied with a shrug. He kind of understood what sex was, what with his brain maturing at a faster rate much like his body. But at the same time, he has also only been alive for ten years and, despite the fast learning rate, still shared a similar mentality with that age range. Honestly, how his body worked was a mystery to both his parents and, especially, himself.

Trevor let out a long sigh as he dragged his hand down his face. "I really don't like you."

"At least we don't have to worry about traveling in the day time now!" Sypha exclaimed, her hands going to Adrian only to flash away from him when he flinched again. "Come on! We will need to get a move on, especially if we need to stop to get you some clothes!"

"I'm being punished for something, aren't I?" Trevor sighed as he followed, watching as Sypha jumped into the back area to dig around in some of the supplies her clan had given them for their journey. Eventually, Sypha offered the dhampir one of their blankets and allowed him to curl up somewhat comfortably within the back of the wagon. Sypha and Trevor sat at the front of the wagon, Trevor's hands holding the reigns of the horses as they started moving on their way. In the back, Adrian stared out the opening in the wagon up at the blue morning sky, lost in his thoughts.

* * *

**SO that was that! Yay they are all together now! And forgive Adrian but he is around new people after being kidnapped only a year after he was tortured and watched his mother burn at the stake.**

**So yeah. Anywho, feel free to comment, ask questions, etc.**

**Until next time! :D**


	6. Chapter 6

**OK so this is a new chapter!**

**Thank you all who review/follow/favorite the story! As well as those who just read it!**

**Well, season 3 fucked with my feelings. Like, by the end I was like "ADRIAN! MY POOR BABY!" and also, "Hey, Trevor, Sypha you two should take a break after all of that. You know where you should go? Go back home, see your boy because ADRIAN NEEDS YOU DAMNIT! so just go back to the castle, yeah?"**

**Yeah, I'm hurting so now I will make you all hurt by making little Adrian cry a lot in this. Just a heads up.**

**Also, I may take this story into season three as well. I mean, obviously, no matter how this ends (i.e. Drac living or dying and Adrian going home) there would have to be at least a chapter or two following, but now I have a season three I could incorperate into it. Possibly. We'll see. I do have the reunion planned and how season two in this universe will end, I just have to get there.**

**Also**

**'_Thinking'_**

**"Regular talking"**

**Anywho, onto the chapter!**

* * *

Sypha let her eyes flashed towards the back of the wagon once more, eyes settling on the small form huddled up towards the back.

"You're doing it again." Trevor grumbled from where he sat beside her.

"What?"

"Watching that thing."

"He is not a thing, Trevor." Sypha scowled at him.

"Whatever.

"I'm just worried."

"That it might kill us and a bunch of innocent people? Me too."

Sypha smacked him on the back of his head.

"Ow! What the hell?!"

"You know what you did." She huffed, her arms crossed as she glared at the hunter. "If you must know, I'm worried about him because he looks so tired and scared still."

"Yeah, well, being around new strangers who tried to kill you can do that to a person."

"So you acknowledge Adrian is a person?""

"Oh, shut up."

In the back of the wagon, Adrian heard the two speaking but did not bother to truly listen to their words. He was tired, what with such a stressful night before, yet as his body tried to fall asleep, his mind forced himself to stay awake. He wasn't safe. He couldn't be safe despite what the speaker had told him. He was far from home traveling with a Belmont toward a town full of humans. Honestly, it was amazing he was not having a panic attack at the moment.

Adrian allowed himself to settle into a light doze, awake enough to notice a change in anything around him, yet shut off from the world enough to have a small break from the chaos that has occurred.

Up front, Sypha glanced back once again and let out a sigh of relief at the sight of the boy resting curled up with his eyes softly closed.

"Finally." She said, turning her gaze back to the road before them.

"You know, he's probably not really asleep. Vampires don't need as much sleep as humans do."

"Yes, but he is a boy and, what with his current situation, I bet he needs the sleep." Sypha huffed, glaring once more at the hunter.

"Yeah, well, he isn't going to get much sleep, what with the village coming up soon."

"Maybe we can just wait a little bit longer before entering."

"Or we could skip this whole trip and ditch the brat."

"We are not ditching Adrian and we are certainly not going to skip the town. We need to get him better traveling clothes and possibly a blanket for him while we travel." Sypha crossed her arms. "I am not letting a child travel through the dangerous woods in his night clothes."

"I mean-"

"Trevor, I won't say it again. We are not leaving him behind." The smile she gave him made him swallow whatever words he was going to say.

They fell into silence for the rest of their time on the road. It was not until they started to come up to the village, which was just as destroyed and effected by the night hordes as any other village in Wallachia, that the silence was broken with a cry from the wagon.

Trevor and Sypha both jolted at the noise, the wagon being yanked to a stop as they both whipped around to look at the teen in the back of the wagon.

"Adrian, what is-?!"

"Don't!" Adrian cried, curling into the side of the wagon, golden eyes set on the entrance to the town before them. "Please don't take me in there!"

"Hey, hey, calm down." Sypha tried to comfort the dhampir, her hands up in a peaceful gesture as she moved to enter the back of the wagon with the boy. "It's ok. We're just stopping in to get some supplies. Nothing is going to happen to you."

"No!" Adrian cried, shaking his head in denial as his body shook with panicked breaths. "No! They'll hurt me again! Please! Please don't! Please!"

Up front, Trevor groaned as he drew his hand down his face. "For fuck's sake," He grumbled before standing up and going around to the back at the entrance to the covered part of the wagon. Sypha shot him a look as he came around, no doubt thinking he was going to force the boy into the town by force, but Trevor only rolled his eyes at her before settling into the wagon. Honestly, he wasn't completely heartless, or at least, a few past events have proven so.

"Calm down, we won't bring you into town." Trevor huffed. "At this rate, we'd attract way too much attention with your screaming so I doubt it would end well for any of us. This is supposed to be a quick stop, so it would be much quicker if you don't come in with us."

"I agree." Sypha said before looking back at Adrian, who had calmed slightly at the conversation. Her eyes drifted over the scars she could see dotting his skin, before she smiled at him once more. "I think it would be best for you to wait out here. So, while I go in and get you some traveling clothes and supplies, you and Trevor can wait for me on the side of the road."

"Wait, hold on-"

"Now Trevor, we don't want Adrian to be alone do we?" Sypha said, turning to look at the protesting hunter.

"Well, yeah, but that doesn't mean I get babysitting duty!" Trevor groaned. He had a feeling his reasoning for not leaving the dhampir alone was different from Sypha's.

"Of course it does!" Sypha huffed before looking at Adrian with a smirk. "This idiot here would get all the wrong things or get a blanket with a hundred holes in it for you thinking it was ok for sleeping." This got a smile out of the boy before he looked down to the ground.

"Y-You don't need to watch me. I won't go anywhere."

"Of course you won't!" Sypha stated confidently as she began to make her way out of the wagon. "I just don't want you to fight against anything that might attack or think its an opportunity to steal a few things from the wagon."

"I can fight." Adrian pouted but it only made Trevor scoff and Sypha smile even more.

"Of course you can." Despite the words, it did not sound condescending. "But you are tired, no?"

A nod.

"Then you should rest, especially if you are having trouble sleeping. That way you can have some energy until we camp for the night. And even then, you never know what could happen. Besides," She pointed at Trevor. "His thick skull is very good at taking hits, and as stupid as he can be, he is quite good at fighting."

Straightening out her robes and grabbing a bag of coins from the wagon, Sypha turned to them one last time. "Wait for me, alright?" Then she looked at Trevor. "Behave. I'll see you in a bit."

With that, she headed into the town.

* * *

Trevor sighed as he rested his head against the thin cover of the wagon. He had just moved the wagon off to the side of the road and it already felt like it had been forever since Sypha had headed off into the village. It also didn't help that there was quite obviously tension between himself and the teen that was curled up as far away as he could be in the small wagon.

Letting out another sigh, the hunter spoke. "So, you could take a nap if you want."

"I'm fine." Adrian replied, no even lifting his head to look at the other. To be honest, he would have prefered to have Sypha here with him than the Belmont.

"Yeah, well, I'm just saying."

"You don't need to talk to me. I know you'd prefer it if I wasn't here."

"Yeah, well, we won't have to worry about that when we find your dad." To be honest, Trevor was growing more conflicted over his feelings about the kid. Sure, he didn't want him there, but with how vulnerable the kid was being, those conflicting feelings were turning from wanting him gone because Adrian was part vampire to not wanting to drag a kid into this mess.

"Hmm…"

"Hey, speaking of your dad, how are you-or we, I guess- going to find him? 'Cause the way I see it, unless we'll stumble across him on our way, then we may not find him."

Adrian shrugged. "I don't really know. I...I know what the area around our home looks like, or what it should look like anyway," That is, hoping the castle doesn't move while he's away. "But other than that, I'll have to wait. I'll either get home first, find him, or he'll find me."

"I see." Trevor hummed. "And your dad...he is a vampire? Or…" Trevor waved his hand in Adrian's direction, the motion catching the dhampir's eye causing him to look up slightly. "I mean, you said you were half vampire, right?"

Adrian blinked in confusion for a few seconds before his mind caught onto the question. "Oh...um...yeah. My dad is a vampire. My...my mom was…" He swallowed thickly. "Was human."

Trevor caught the 'was', his eyes flashing before replying. "Ah. Well, that's...nice? I guess...um.."

"You think I'm weird."

"Well, no, just...uh…"

"It's ok." Adrian shrugged before pulling his legs closer to his body. "The other vampires think I'm weird too."

'_Christ,_' Trevor cursed silently as he took a deep breath, emotions he didn't want to think about rising slightly in his chest. "I don't...I don't think you're weird...just...uh, never heard of a half vampire, half human before. Or at least, none living."

"My dad says I'm called a dhampir." Adrian mumbled into his knees. "They can happen, but it's very rare and none of them have ever lived past birth."

"He just...told you that?"

Another shrug. "I was curious."

"Alright then…"

More silence. Honestly, Trevor was not good at this whole talking thing, especially with a child. Drumming his fingers on his leg, the two continued to just sit in an awkward silence when Trevor spoke again.

"So...if...your dad had a human for a wife, then how's he feeling about the whole," He waved his hand in the air. "Destroy the humans thing Dracula is doing."

Adrian tightened his grip on his legs. "What do you mean?"

"Oh you know." Trevor drew out. "The night hordes attack cities all over Wallachia for the past year or so. Homes falling apart, blood painting the streets, people screaming, ectedera, ectedera. All that stuff."

"..."

"I mean, if your dad had a human wife, then I would assume he wouldn't support Dracula."

"He does." Adrian mumbled out.

"Really? Even though he had a human wife? Even though you are part human?" Trevor's voice, while not shouting, was definitely accusing.

"He understands where Dracula is coming from." Adrian snapped back, glaring at the hunter.

"Where he's coming from? And where, exactly, are these attacks coming from?" Trevor pressed, arms crossed as he raised an eyebrow at the teen before him. The tension that had been in the air shifted from awkwardness to animosity.

"From grief." Adrian growled causing Trevor to let out a laugh.

"Are you serious? Grief?"

"My d-Dracula lost my-his wife to humans." Adrian shot back, his emotions threatening to cause him to slip up. "They...They…" His breathing started to speed up as the memories of that time started to come back to him once more. Clenching his fists, the dhampir fought to gain control of himself once again, his head shooting away from where the hunter was sitting. His eyes, which had been shut tight, were forced open as Adrian struggled to find a way to ground himself, only for his eyes to settle on the beaten and bloodied entrance of the village they sat outside of.

His breath hitched as his enhanced senses took in the sight before him. His scared mind tried to shift the view to be that of that horrible night, but he could not force his eyes to look away from the real sight before him. All this time, he had been hidden away in the castle and had not dared leave after the night he and his mother had been taken. Adrian was very aware of the war his father was raging on the humans, despite his father trying to keep it from him during the beginning stages of his attack, but Adrian had never thought of the outcome of his father's actions. The very real sight fought for its place against visions of the past within his mind. The very real smells of decay and the echoing silence in what was supposed to be a bustling town pierced their way into his mind.

The horrible area grounded him but it only served to twist his insides up even more as he struggled past one trauma to understand the terror that lay before him.

"W-Wha…"

Trevor watched the teen struggle to catch his breath as he tried to explain why Dracula was attacking. To be honest, Trevor really didn't care about the reason. Nothing could excuse a genocide of the human race. Though, from the kid's reaction, he had a feeling he may know exactly what had happened to lead to all of this. Looking at the scars that covered the kid, plus the way he reacted to possibly entering the village, it wasn't that hard to figure out where those scars had come from. Add on to that that the kid seemed to know exactly what happened to the wife of Dracula, what with the same reaction he had to entering the village was to talking about the woman, it was safe to assume the kid was there when it happened. Now why he would be with the wife of Dracula of all things was beyond him, unless of course-.

Nope, no that wasn't possible. He wasn't going to think about that. Maybe it's the lack of alcohol trying to put such ideas in his head. He'll bring it up to Sypha later, let her deal with the weird ideas his mind is coming up with.

The hitched sound coming from the kid brought Trevor's attention away from his thoughts and he looked to see Adrian's eyes set on the village before them.

"What, finally realizing what it is that is happening?" Trevor grumbled.

"W-What happened?" Adrian choked out, voice hoarse before swallowing thickly.

Trevor raised an eyebrow. "Dracula happened."

Adrian said nothing.

At this point, Trevor was both hoping Sypha would show up and at the same time he was hoping she wouldn't because he had a feeling he would not get out of their encounter unscathed. Maybe he could escape real quick? No, then she'd yell at him for leaving the brat alone. Was there any way of him not getting yelled at by the speaker at this point? Maybe-

"People...people are getting hurt."

Trevor stopped and looked back at Adrian who was now looking down at the floor of the wagon. "Uh...yeah?"

"And...and inside the town?"

"Probably looks either worse or better. Depends on the state of the people, though it's probably not good." Trevor answered honestly watching as the kid tightened his grip once more on his legs and he pulled himself back into his curled up position.

"It's like this...everywhere?"

Trevor shrugged. "No. Some places are worse than this." He caught sight of Adrian's eyes tearing up at that. "Ah...but...uh, some are better? I mean-"

"He said he was protecting me." The mumble was barely heard, but Trevor caught it anyway with his battle trained senses. "He said...and the humans hurt us. They...they…" The kid's breath hitched again. "Humans hurt! He...he's doing nothing wrong because...because they...t-they attacked and...and…!"

Shit, where was Sypha when he needed her.

"Trevor~."

Speak of the devil and it shall appear.

Said hunter cringed and turned to find Sypha sending him a chilling smile while her eyes flicked between him and the crying teen.

"Listen-"

"I told you two to behave!"

"And we did! We were just...uh...talking and uh…"

Sypha ignored the rest of his stumbling excuse as she crawled into the wagon and called softly to Adrian. "Adrian? I have some clothes for you if you'd like to go change. I'll take care of the big oaf for you."

Adrian raised his watery golden eyes to look at Sypha before biting his lip and slowly uncurling. He swallowed as he took the bundle of clothes the speaker held out to him before opening his mouth to speak. "Um...he...he didn't do much. He just...we were just talking."

"Did he say anything stupid?"

"Well…"

"Don't worry about insulting him. He naturally says stupid things." Adrian cracked a smile at her words before scrambling off to go change out of sight of the two humans.

Once he was gone, Sypha whirled on Trevor. "What did you do?!"

"Nothing! We were just talking!"

"And clearly you made him cry!"

"So the topic was a bit sensitive, it's fine."

Sypha quirked an eyebrow. "And what, exactly, was this topic?"

Trevor shifted under her look. "I just asked about the brats dad and how he felt about Dracula's actions and all."

Sypha sighed. "You thought you could talk about that with a child?! Trevor, he was already scared?! Why couldn't you talk about nice things?!"

"Hey, I was just trying to figure things out, ok? Random, half vampire brat comes out of nowhere saying he wants to go back to his dad, I'll have some questions!" Trevor crossed his arms. "Besides, the kid gave me a fucking headache anyway."

"Really." Sypha asked skeptically. "And how, exactly, does a crying child give you a headache? Oh, wait, was it because you don't know how to handle a child?"

"Ok, in my defense, I never have, nor have I ever wanted, to deal with a child let alone one that was crying." Trevor shot back. "And, no. The kid's answers have fucked with my head. Like, they made no sense."

"Well, will you elaborate?"

Trevor dragged a hand down his face. "Well, to start, I think the kid was there when this whole fucking mess started. Like, in person. Not only that, but he also gave a reason as to why Dracula is going on a fucking rampage, and the reason makes even less sense to me. Honestly, I hope that when I tell you everything, you can deal with the headache so I don't have to."

"Well, I hope you tell me everything so I don't have to sit through your explanation of it. Right now, you are giving me a headache." Sypha huffed. "Just tell me."

"I feel like I need alcohol for that. Honestly, I'm still wrapping my head around it."

"Um…"

The two jumped at the quiet voice and turned to see Adrian standing there, arms holding the bundle of his night clothes while dressed in the more appropriate travelling clothing. They seemed a bit large on his thin body, but they would do.

"Oh! Do they fit alright?" Sypha asked.

"Yeah…" Adrian mumbled and he seemed to fight with himself before taking a deep breath. "Also, if you're going to talk behind my back, you should be quieter about it."

"Oh! Uh…"

"Well, maybe you should keep that vampire hearing to yourself, hm?" Trevor shot back, feeling more comfortable with the brat when he wasn't crying. "Or else, you might hear something you're not ready for."

Adrian gave him a deadpan look. "I wouldn't listen if you weren't so loud."

"Or you're just a nosy brat."

"Loud, thick skulled man."

"Ooh, kid has bite. Got anything else?"

"Stop, I will not have you teaching him name calling." Sypha huffed, only for Adrian to look at her.

"But you told me he was thick skulled." Adrian said, his eyebrows furrowing in confusion.

The two humans stared at him before Trevor burst out laughing and Sypha blushed. Sypha then huffed and moved to the front of the wagon explaining the two of them better hurry or she was going to leave them behind. Adrian hopped up into the back of the wagon once again while Trevor shifted to once again sit up front with Sypha. Up front, Sypha turned and gave Trevor a smirk.

"Still want to ditch him?"

"Shut up."

"You smiled when he smiled."

"Only because your words backfired. Besides, the kid might have information now."

"Right, I'm sure that's the only reason you want to keep him."

"It is."

From the back of the wagon, Adrian called up to them. "I can still hear you."

"Shut up, brat!"

"Stop whispering about me!"

"Stop being weird then!"

"You're the weird one!"

"Oh, fuck off!"

"Trevor! Language!"

"Oh, come on, he started it!"

In the back, Adrian relaxed as the topic was not shifted away from him, letting the two argue in the background as he turned his gaze out to where he could see the town fading in the distance. Conflicting feelings rose within him as he was faced with the effects of his father's war. He was told that it was being done to protect him, but that part that was nurtured by his mother told him this was wrong, that these people shouldn't be hurt. Yet, at the same time, the sight of the village called to the terrified part of him that had been tortured at the hands of the humans and forced to watch his mother…, he shook that thought away. He has lost his control over his emotions too much within the last day. The attack and being left far from his father's protection out in the world of the humans left him shaken and tumbling without an anchor. This lack of safety pulled at him, adding fuel to the terror that lives within him and only further leaves him unstable.

Of course, he will admit the hunter and speaker give him a sense of comfort, at least when they stayed away from any of the topics that were focused around either him or his father. To be honest, he felt safe with them, or at least, was starting to despite it having only been a few hours since their first meeting. Even the Belmont had grown on him. It could just be that he was looking for something to keep him safe and grounded during this time, but he felt they at least will keep the humans away from him. Them not dragging him into the village was proof of that. That they cared in some way, even if it was only to keep from attracting attention.

But...for how long would they care? He knows he has slipped up, let out facts and as stupid as Sypha claims Trevor to be, he knows that it won't take long to put the few facts together. What would they do if they found out he was the son of Dracula? Would they hurt him? Leave him on his own? At least with them, he knew they were no doubt looking for Dracula so at some point he would return home if he stayed at their side.

And at the same time, he was conflicted over his feelings for his father. He loved him, of course he did. But seeing that town made him wonder if his father was right? If he sticks with the two humans, what should he do if they all come across his father? He won't let them kill him, of course not, but...should he really support his father. It was for his protection, that was what he was told, but the state of that town made Adrian feel sick to his stomach for more than his natural fear.

_'And it's all one big circle._' Adrian thought as his thoughts returned back to the start of his contemplation. They were too confusing for his young mind no matter how intelligent he was nor how quickly he developed. It especially didn't help with how tired he was after all of these events. He let his mind let go of these ideas for now, his exhausted mind unable to fully grasp the thought process.

Glancing up at the sky, Adrian couldn't help but whisper a soft, "mom" as he wished for the comfort he knew she would provide.

* * *

**So yeah, that happened. Also, Trevor isn't really that stupid, at least not when it comes to putting things together if he really thinks about it. I mean, he did have to survive by himself on the streets without his family for a while when they were killed so yeah. He's catching on he just doesn't want to believe it.**

**Also, I had thought about bringing Adrian into the town when I realized a traumatized kid, no matter how quickly they mature, may not want to go into the town so easily after only a year. Maybe if it had been longer or he had been older and desensitzed or more control over his emotions or anything else, maybe then, but not here. I also had to keep myself from turning him into a little bat and hiding with either Sypha or Trevor. I wanted to, but I was like, no he wouldn't do that, not yet! I will do it in the future, hopefully.**

**Feel free to comment, ask questions, etc.**

**Until next time! :D**


	7. Chapter 7

**OK so this is a new chapter!**

**Thank you all who review/follow/favorite the story! As well as those who just read it!**

**Look at me! Updating twice! This is because I don't want to do any of my homework if I'm being honest and I also know like exactly what I want to do with this story. Hopefully I stay motivated! Anywho, heads up imma gonna be a bit sad in this chapter. Oh well.**

**Onto the chapter!**

* * *

"Alright," Trevor huffed out. "Let's stop here for the night. I doubt we'll be able to travel far once the sun sets."

"Why?" Adrian asked as he popped his head out of the wagon.

Trevor waved his hand as he hopped off of the wagon. "Oh, you know. Night hordes and all that shit."

"Oh. Right." Adrian mumbled as his mouth pressed into a thin line. He pushed himself out of the wagon, one of his hands coming up to rub at his eyes with a yawn passing his lips.

"If you'd like, Adrian," Sypha spoke from where she was securing the horses to trees after detaching them from the wagon. "You could rest while we set up camp. I understand it has been a rather tiring day."

The dhampir bit his lip, eyes flashing down to the ground in thought.

"Don't worry, we'd wake you up to eat." Trevor huffed. "That is, what exactly do you eat? Do you need regular food or like, blood? Or some other shit?"

Adrian crossed his arms. "I can eat food." he huffed.

"So," Trevor drew out. "No blood then?"

"Well...no." Adrian shifted where he was standing as his hands clenched slightly on his arms. "My...my dad would take me out to hunt sometimes for fresh blood or otherwise he would just give me a bit from what he had."

"Hunt?" Trevor asked as he raised an eyebrow.

"Not humans." Adrian huffed as his anxiousness shifted to a defensiveness as he glared at the hunter. "I told you. I haven't hurt anyone!"

"I know," Sypha soothed, shooting a glare at Trevor. "I believe you. I'm sorry Trevor has such a narrow mind."

"Well, what am I supposed to assume when I'm told a vampire is going out to hunt?"

"Not all vampires feed on humans." Adrian grumbled. "My dad didn't like humans anyway. He liked to stay away from them. My mom said when she met him, he tried to make her leave before attacking her. She didn't leave, just walked into his house after knocking on his door." There was a faint smile on his face.

"Oh, that's so sweet!" Sypha cried, trying to picture the encounter.

"She's fucking insane." Trevor groaned.

"It sounds like she was determined and brave." Sypha shot back with a huff.

"Yes well, the insane wouldn't see the insane as insane, would they?" Trevor raised an eyebrow pointedly at the Speaker.

"You just don't see any of the good qualities in a person."

"No, I just see the obvious ones."

"You know, some of the most inspirational people were seen as insane."

"And you also have those who are just bat shit crazy. What with them spewing ridiculous ideas and shouting them at people as if that would make their craziness make more sense." Trevor stopped and furrowed his eyebrows. "Then again, guess that worked for the church, didn't it."

"Yes, well, I was more talking about people with actual ideas."

A laugh drew the humans to look over at the dhampir traveling with them. The young boy had a bright smile on his face and his golden eyes seemed to sparkle for the first time since they had saved him from those vampires. Sypha shot a look at Trevor and he made a point to look away from her and her knowing grin.

"So, Adrian, why was your mother there, if you don't mind me asking?" Sypha wondered, tilting her head at the boy, eyes sparkling with curiosity.

"My mom said she had heard that my dad had a lot of knowledge on science and medicine, so she looked for him." Adrian let out a giggle. "Just banged on his door and said she would not leave until he taught her new ways to help people in her village. She was really good at healing. She and my dad would sometimes let me help them!"

"That's amazing!"

"Wait, wait, wait, wait." Trevor spoke up, eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "You're saying that your human mother learned medicine from a fucking vampire? Can this fucking world get any crazier?"

"Trevor, would you please stop swearing so much?"

"See, you keep yelling at me, yet has anything changed?"

"No." She huffed. "I honestly don't know why I try."

"I couldn't tell you."

Sypha rolled her eyes. "One another note, a human learning from a vampire is not crazy. In fact, it makes sense since a vampire lives much longer than any human could, so they would clearly learn a lot of things throughout their life. They must have so much knowledge!" Her eyes shined as she thought of all she could learn from a vampire. "I would love to learn about what they know!"

"Assuming they don't kill you first." Trevor grunted.

"Not all vampires want to kill humans."

"No, but most do." Trevor shot back. "Otherwise, the Belmonts would not have been needed as much as they did. In fact, a vampire not wanting to either kill a human or keep a human as a pet is a rare thing to find, basically never heard of! Besides, assuming that the vampire cares enough to record stuff about humans, what would it do with information especially if they want to be isolated or, as I said before, just view humans as food?"

"My dad liked to keep knowledge." Adrian spoke up. "He said people forgot too much."

"Right, ok, sure. A keeper of knowledge for the people." Trevor grumbled as he rolled his eyes. "Ok, well, I'm done listening to madness. Oi, brat!"

Adrian jolted at the direct call to him, shifting to fully face the Belmont.

Trevor gestured with a nod to the woods around them. "Since you seem to still have energy and I don't want Sypha yelling at me for not feeding you right, how 'bout you come catch some food with me?"

"Really?" Golden eyes were wide in shock.

Trevor shrugged. "Why not? I mean, you don't have to."

"Ah, no! I'll come."

"Good."

"You better keep an eye on him." Sypha spoke up.

"Don't worry, I won't lose the brat." Trevor huffed as a hand pulled his sword from its sheath.

"I wasn't talking to you."

"Hey!"

Adrian laughed once more, his body the most relaxed it's been since his kidnapping. There was just something about the two of them that made him relax around them, despite one of the humans being hunter of his kind.

As Adrian moved to stand besides Trevor, he stopped the hunter before they could go into the woods. "Um, can I shift first? It's sometimes easier to hunt that way and that's how me and dad usually do it."

Trevor quirked a brow. "Sure, go crazy kid."

A fanged grin spread across the young face before a red light covered the boy and his body changed. The form shifted down to all fours and the bones seemed to warp. When the red light cleared, a small white wolf stood beside Trevor. It was clearly not yet full grown and Sypha could not help but coo at the sight of the pup.

"Hm, wondered if you could do anything like that." Trevor mumbled, getting the wolf to look up at him. "Though I have to say, you're not intimidating in this form either."

"He's adorable!" Sypha cried, rushing over to pat Adrian on the head, getting a look from the wolf.

"You realize he is still the half vampire brat, right?" Trevor huffed.

"Yes, but you can't deny he looks so cute like this!" Sypha gushed, and Adrian leaned slightly into the petting.

"Dear God, she's lost it."

"Adrian, can you bite him for me?"

"Hey!"

* * *

Sypha hummed softly to herself as she gathered the fuel for the fire. As she bent down to place the twigs into the growing pile of fuel, Trevor's voice reached her ears. Looking up from the pile of twigs and leaves, she looked towards the woods in the direction of the sound of her friend.

"You fucking brat!" Trevor's voice called from the rustling of the woods. "Those were my kills! Get back here!"

Placing her hands on her hips, Sypha watched as a white wolf pup burst from the bushes, tail wagging happily as it came running past with two rabbits hanging from its jaws. It dashed behind her legs just as the brunette hunter burst from the woods behind it, panting with two other rabbits in his hands.

"What are you doing?" Sypha asked with a giggle.

Trevor huffed. "That brat killed those before I could even though I hunted them down."

"Hm, is this true, Adrian?" Sypha laughed as she turned to face the wolf just as it turned back into a young teen, now holding the rabbits in his hands.

"No, it's not. I found them by myself." Adrian grumbled glaring at the older male. "He just happened to get there at the same time I did."

"Yeah, right."

"Sorry you were too slow." Adrian shot back with a smile.

"Too slow?" Trevor gaped. "If you, supposedly, got there first, then you're the slow one. So much for vampire speed."

"I'm half vampire," Adrian huffed. "And a kid. What does that say about you?"

"Alright, alright, children calm down." Sypha laughed. "Did you get a lot of food?"

"I'm not a child." Trevor grumbled before holding up the rabbit carcasses in his hands. "We got a good number. Enough meat to feel at least somewhat full." As he spoke, he moved to settle down on the ground and got out one of his smaller blades to prepare the rabbit.

"Can I help with the skinning?" Adrian asked, looking with large eyes as he moved to the hunter's side and placed his own rabbits down."

"Sure, why not." Trevor shrugged, "You know what to do?"

"Mhm." Adrian nodded, taking one of the rabbits and another of the hunter's blades.

Sypha smiled at the pair before turning to the pile of fuel she had been gathering. Grabbing a few bits from the pile, she put them towards what would be the center of their camp and twisted her fingers into the form she needed for the fire spell. With a quick motion, the smaller pile lit on fire.

Clapping her hands together, she sighed. "There, now we have a fire for the night."

"Worried about any of the horde finding us?" Trevor called over though he didn't sound concerned.

"It didn't matter the last few times."

"Just checking."

Sypha crossed her arms as she faced the two males. "I would rather be warm and waiting for an attack than cold and waiting for an attack." She then smirked. "Besides, we need it to cook the rabbits."

"Well, obviously I wasn't going to eat them raw."

"Well, you never know. You could be desperate."

"I have never been desperate enough to eat raw meat before." Then he tilted his head. "Enough to risk getting attacked? Sure. I mean, it was basically a regular occurance. But if I'm going to eat meat, I'm going to cook it."

"I don't know, what do you think Adrian?" Sypha turned her gaze to the young teen only to frown. The dhampir was frozen, golden gaze wide and far away, a glassy sheen to his eyes. Sypha followed that frozen gaze to the fire flickering at her feet, brow furrowing in concern. Looking back up at Adrian, she moves around the fire and begins walking towards him.

Even Trevor has stopped to look at the boy besides him, eyes looking to Sypha in uncertainty.

"Adrian?" She called softly, only to find no change in the boy's attitude. "Adrian, are you alright? Can you come back to me?"

She slowly approached the frozen boy, her hand reaching out to gently touch him on the shoulder. However, as soon as her hand made contact with the slim shoulder, the boy jolted to life with a terrified cry.

"Mom! No! No...No please! Mom!" He cried, tears falling from his eyes as he whipped away from Sypha. The two were quick to dodge the flailing arm that still clutched the knife he was using to skin the rabbits and Trevor acted quickly to grab the wrist and pull the blade from the trembling grasp. However, as his large hand curled around the pale wrist, Adrian's scream grew and he almost seem to scream in pain and flinch away from something the two could not see.

"Mom! Mom! NOO! No, mo-mother!"

"Adrian! Adrian, it's alright!" Sypha cried out as she attempted to get close to the terrified child, but his eyes would not look away from the flames.

"Shit." Trevor cursed, his hand remaining tight on the dhampir as he didn't want to risk the boy running in his state. From where they had been preparing the rabbits, he was two far to kick dirt on the fire to put it out. His blue eyes flashed to where Sypha was attempting to call to the boy, but he knew that it wouldn't get through. Reacting quickly, Trevor pulled the boy to his chest and covered him with the long cloak he had around his shoulders, hiding the flames from the young teen's sight.

He shifted his arms. The free one kept the struggling dhampir to his chest despite the strong struggles that came from the kid. He had to use all of his strength to keep him against him. His other hand held tight in his cloak and he bundled the boy up against him and within the depths of the fabric.

"Alright, easy now." Trevor grunted as a fist hit him in the chest but only tightened his grasp. His eyes flashed up at Sypha and he snapped, "Put the fire out."

The Speaker was clearly at war with herself as she was forced to turn away from the terrified dhampir, but she nodded and with quick fingers, put out the fire.

"Alright, calm down." Trevor muttered to the bundle of fear in his lap. God, he was not cut out for this. "Easy now."

"M-Mom!"

"I know, I know." Sadly, he did know. This kid's fear was all too familiar to him. "But...but everything is alright now. Or at least, it will be."

A whimper and then a fist curled into his shirt. "...Dad?"

"Uhhh…" Trevor froze, eyes snapping up to Sypha who only motioned with her hands down to Adrian with worry clear in her eyes.

"Dad...I-I want to go home."

Trevor swallowed. "Y-Yeah...yeah of course. Sure...uh...just-just rest for now, ok? Just go to sleep and everything will be ok in the morning." Almost unconsciously, the hand curled around the boy's shoulders began to rub circles into his back. "Everything will be ok."

A sharp sniffle came from the otherwise now silent bundle. After a few minutes the trembling began to fade away and the body relaxed against the hunter's body. Waiting until he knew for sure the kid was out, Trevor then shifted his cloak so that they could both see the unconscious boy, tear tracks upon his cheeks.

Blue eyes met blue.

"Shit."

* * *

**Yeah...we knew it was going to happen. Hey, did ya catch the parallel between Trevor and Dracula? Both at the end of their chapters? This may or may not happen again, I don't know, but it worked here so I went with it. The power of cloaks!**

**Anywho feel free to comment, ask questions, etc.**

**Until next time! :D**


	8. Chapter 8

**OK so this is a new chapter!**

**Thank you all who review/follow/favorite the story! As well as those who just read it!**

***Quarantine happens* Huh, I could write a lot during this. *procrastinates* oops. But now I have a nice long chapter for all of you! And I plan to update again in the near future! Probably not tomorrow or even the day after but soon! I mean, at the very least I have an excuse. I've been working on school stuff. Lots of papers and tests.**

**Anywho, onto the chapter!**

* * *

The sound of a hammer reached Carmilla's ears as she stood in the doorway to Hector's forge. He and the other forgemaster had been working almost non-stop since Dracula's son had gone missing, sending wave after wave of night creatures out onto the world. While Dracula had kept to his word from sending out a complete storm of night creatures upon the world, the lands that had already been ruined by the war and the areas around them suffered from the onslaught of bloodshed that was coming from their master's rage.

"This is quite amazing, Hector." Carmilla spoke as she strolled into the room. "To know of your legendary skills and to see them with my own eyes is extraordinary. Especially since our kind never produced a forgemaster."

"Yes, well, you didn't have to." Hector replied as he began cleaning his hammer once again. "Before the war night creatures were simply a species in hiding. They either reproduced naturally or were created by spouts of wild magic. But now they are soldiers and their numbers have to be replenished. Especially since young master Adrian has gone missing."

"Ah yes, the poor child. I do hope he is alright."

"So do I. Honestly, he was most likely a rock for Dracula, a way to stay sane and to remind him what this war was for. But, now...it's like he's lost all hope. Even with all...this," He waved to the corpses in the room. "He seems to have lost that...fire that drove him. Before, it was something strong, but now...now it seems out of desperation. I worry for Dracula."

Carmilla moved closer to where the forgemaster stood before his table. "You know, there are some things we can do that don't require his decisions."

"Oh, I doubt that." Hector laughed.

"But there are." Carmilla replied, turning to face Hector. "I recall that before the...incident that we talked about sending creatures to watch over the Belmont hold. Has any of that been done?"

"No, not exactly." Hector replied. "Our forces are focused more on finding Adrian at the moment and tearing down all in their path." A soft touch to his leg had him looking down and Hector smiled at the sight of his reanimated pug, Cezar. "Why are you so fascinated with it, anyway?"

"If anything in all the world holds tools and magic that could harm our Lord Dracula and his son, it is in the Belmont trove." Carmilla replied, watching as the forgemaster bent to pet the animated dog. "It must not fall into the wrong hands, especially with our Lord's son missing. Besides, the Belmont himself is still around, yes? Who is to say he won't head there?"

Hector seemed to pause, thinking about the words before he stood up to face Carmilla once more. "Alright, that sounds...reasonable. I agree to that, but Dracula must agree to the dispensation of troupes." As he turned away from Carmilla to face his tools once more, she frowned once she was out of his view. Thinking, Carmilla allowed herself to wander towards the window of the room, her hand trailing along the chair of the desk in front of the window.

"Tell me," She spoke up. "How is it you came to be in Dracula's service?"

So he told her. He told her how Dracula sought him out while he lived in isolation, away from the other humans. He told her how he came looking for Hector for his skills so that an army could be raised to cull the human race for the actions that had been taken against Dracula's wife and son. Hector explained that he agreed to a cull for the human race, a way to turn them to livestock for the vampires and powerless in terms of harming anyone ever again. That was the deal that had been made.

Carmilla listened, coming closer to the reminiscing forgemaster before directing her gaze back to his pile of corpses.

"It is my understanding that when a forgemaster reanimates a thing, it holds total loyalty to the forgemaster and his goals."

"...It does."

Coming up behind Hector, Carmilla moved so her head was over his shoulder and her words would be whispered directly in his ear. "Make some troupes that you can trust completely with whatever they find, and then help me convince Dracula to attack Braila."

* * *

Issac bowed before Dracula as he came into the room. As usually, his master was staring into the raging fire of his fireplace, only there was an edge to his usual forlorn figure.

"My Lord, another round of night creatures have been sent out through the surrounding areas."

"Good," Dracula replied, eyes never leaving the fire. "Has any sign of my son been found?"

"Not yet. I apologise for this."

Clawed fingers tightened on the arms of the chair. "I don't want apologies, Issac, I want my son found. I don't care what it takes to do that but I want it done. I want the destroyed towns searched and the woods scoured for any sign of my son. I want all that stands in my way to be destroyed and slaughtered!" Heated, red eyes narrowed in Issac's direction. "And if he is not in any of those desprit, worthless towns, then I will not hold back any longer on attacking those that remain. I will tear through this world with no thought of whatever 'plans' you and my generals wish to enact if my son is not found and returned to me!"

Issac did not blink at the words growled from his master's throat, quite used to the vengeful beast that was held within the imposing figure. "Of course my lord. I am sure that whoever has taken young master Adrian is still within the lands you have already attacked. If they are traveling by day, that means they are human and even more vulnerable to attack."

"If they are human I want them ripped to shreds for hurting my boy once more." Dracula snarled back. "If they are human I want them to watch as whatever town near them turns to ruin to show just what exactly that had done when that thought to take my son!"

"Yes, master."

"Go."

With a bow, Issac slipped out of the room, only to narrow slightly as he passed Godbrand who stood outside of the doorway.

The vampire watched the human walk away before entering the room himself and clearing his throat. "May I speak to you?"

A long sigh came from the chair before Dracula spoke, his voice sounding much calmer than before. "Approach, Godbrand."

Walking forward, Godbrand spoke. "I have a question."

"Go on."

Looking at the figure in the chair, Godbrand's eyes looked him over before turning his gaze to the side. "If you kill all the humans, what are we gonna eat?"

"What?"

"It's very simple Dracula." Godbrand huffed. "If you kill all the humans, where does the continuing supply of human blood come from?"

Dracula placed his fingers to the bridge of his nose in frustration as he replied. "I allow you to go on blood raids as we change location. I have blood stored in cold canisters. There are animals in the lower levels." He shot him a look from the corner of his eye. "You won't go hungry Godbrand."

"No, not now. But later." Godbrand huffed as he moved closer to the fireplace. "I don't want to be rationing myself on fucking pigs blood."

"Careful." There was a note of warning in Dracula's voice but the other vampire did not seem to heed it.

"Look, pig's blood gives me the shits! I'm sorry, but there it is."

A sigh. "You'll be taken care of Godbrand."

"Yes, of course, right, except, what if we're not. What if you just want to kill all the humans and not leave us enough to keep in camps to feed from." Dracula, already high strung, tried to control his anger but it is what Godbrand said next that broke any control he had. "Look, I get that your kid was taken by the shits, and that he had survived by animal blood all this time, but what about af-GAH!"

Godbrand grunted as he was slammed into the wall behind him. Looking up he swallowed as he found the burning red eyes of Dracula boring down on him.

"I will not be questioned by you." Dracula growled. "I have told you how it will be. The humans will die and you will be taken care of." Dracula sneered. "Little Godbrand. Little vampire. Little parasite." The word was spat as if it offended the one speaking it. "Pretending he is important and dangerous. Pretending his concerns are more important than my missing _son_! Are you going to continue questioning me?! Are you going to _fight_ me!?"

Godbrand averted his gaze. "No." He breathed out.

Dracula leaned in closer. "Then why are you still here, making your little noises? Get out before I slit you up the middle and bite out your heart."

Swallowing thickly, Godbrand quickly scurried away leaving Dracula seething in his study. How dare that man question him and his actions. How dare he act as if Adrian's kidnapping was unimportant! Oh, how he was tempted to carry through with his threat for the other, to make him suffer for saying such things.

With a growl, Dracula's fist slammed into the wall, a satisfying crack reaching his ears. Oh how he wished those stones were that of the one who kidnapped his son. He wished it was the one who betrayed his war to assist the verman living out in the world spreading their hatred like a disease. He knew that a vampire assisted with the kidnapping of his son, but as much as he wanted to slit every throat until the rat was found, he knew he could not. He first needed to find his son.

With a low growl, he sunk back into his chair.

* * *

A soft fire crackled between the two humans. After a few minutes of digesting what had just gone down, the two shifted so that Adrian now lay with his head resting in Sypha's lap, his sleeping figure hidden from the new fire by Trevor's thick cloak. Both Sypha and Trevor stared into the fire with dark expressions, Sypha's blue gaze occasionally going to the slumbering form on her lap.

"I just…" Sypha sighed, carding her fingers through the blonde locks in her lap. "To make a child watch their mother burn is just...just horrible." It was the most obvious conclusion after seeing his reaction.

"Mn."

"I mean, it explains his fear of the town I guess." Sypha sighed. "And why he freezes when we ask about his parents."

"Mn."

"This might even explain his scars. And, if his dad supports Dracula because of grief like you said, then that would make sense as well. Of course he would hate humans, even if his wife was one."

"Mn."

"Do you not have anything else to say?!" Sypha hissed, though keeping her voice low enough to not disturb the child in her lap.

"Look, I told you everything the kid told me." Trevor sighed though he never looked away from the flames.

"Yes, but you have that look on your face when you are thinking bad things. Well, thinking in general, really." Her attempt to lighten the mood fell flat. Letting out a long sigh, Sypha tried to catch Trevor's gaze. "Tell me what you are thinking."

"I don't really want to. Then it might become real." His gaze flickered up to hers. "Besides, you might already know what it is."

"Trevor-."

"Fine," He huffed. "You want me to say it? Alright. We might be carrying the fucking son of Dracula with us!" He threw up his arms to emphasize his point as his eyes flashed to the bundle in Sypha's lap.

"We don't know that for sure."

"You're right, we don't." Trevor agreed but his eyes were determined. "But, even an idiot could realize that a lot of what he said about his dad and Dracula seemed to be similar, especially when he didn't catch what he was saying. I mean, who else could he mean when he said, 'he was protecting me' in response to the destroyed town?!"

"Maybe Dracula just cares for him!"

"That doesn't really make this any better." Trevor sighed, running his hand down his face.

Sypha huffed. "Fine. Let's say Adrian is the son of Dracula, what then? Are you going to try to kill him?" There was a warning in her voice.

"I don't fucking know!" Trevor groaned. "I should! I should turn him to ash for being the blasted son of the evil we are going out to kill!"

"But you won't."

Trevor glared. "Don't think I actually care for the brat,"

"I saw you holding him."

"Because he wouldn't let go!"

"I'm pretty sure you grabbed him first."

"Only so he wouldn't run away. I really didn't want to go looking for the brat if he ran!"

"So you would go looking for him?"

"Only because you would make me."

Sypha smirked. "You can try to fool me, but I know you care about him."

"Oh shut up."

Silence fell over the two once again as their bantering trickled off. The smile that had been on Sypha's face faded when she looked back down at Adrian.

"I think, assuming we are right about his father, that we should wait for him to tell us."

Trevor looked up from the fire. "What?" He asked, quirking an eyebrow.

"To show we trust him." Sypha replied. "We should let him tell us."

"Or we could just ask him and if it's true explain we aren't going to kill him." Trevor offered, waving his hand toward the sleeping dhampir.

"How would that show we trusted him?"

"Well, it shows we figured it out and didn't kill him, so there's that. Plus, he could stop trying to hide how scared he is and acting all tough when he isn't."

That previous smirk returned to Sypha's face. "I thought you said you didn't care?"

"I don't." Trevor denied once more. "But it hurts to watch him pretend to be strong. It almosts makes me feel bad for the kid."

"Right, of course."

Trevor opened his mouth to shoot back a response only to freeze when a sound of crunching snow reached his ears from the woods around him. Shooting a look to Sypha, who understood what was happening just as much as he did, the two shot to their feet with Trevor smothering the fire in the process.

Adrian moaned from where he had been shifted onto the ground, blurry, golden eyes blinking at the two as he fought to wake up. Acting swiftly, Sypha scooped the child up into her arms and carried him to the wagon. She placed him inside of it and gave him a smile when he looked up at her from the folds of Trevor's cloak.

"I know you can fight, but you're tired, so stay here where it is safe for now." Sypha replied, giving him a stern look as she spoke.

"Wha-?"

"Don't question it." Sypha cut him off. "Just stay here where it is safe. It shouldn't be too long."

With that, she turned back out to the ominous woods around her.

Sharing another look with Trevor, the hunter and the Speaker took off in different directions away from the camp. There, a few paces away and coming closer, were about three different demons making their way to the camp. Pulling his whip from his hip, Trevor prepared himself for a fight.

* * *

Back in the wagon, Adrian continued to blink the sleep from his eyes as he struggled to understand what was happening. Rubbing his eyes, small flashes of what happened before he fell asleep returned to his mind and a frown formed at the thoughts. He had not meant to lose control like that, yet he still had no control over how his mind and body reacted to the horrific memories of that night. Hopefully, he had not given too much away during his freak out.

Stumbling to his feet, He poked his head out from the opening of the wagon as he tried to find the two humans. When he saw they were nowhere near the camp, his frown deepened and the dhampir hopped out of the wagon, leaving Trevor's cloak behind. (When he realized what was wrapped around his shoulders, Adrian had to fight down an embarrassed blush.)

Placing his hand on his sword's hit at his hip, he began to walk slowly away from the wagon, his ears straining for any sign of his companions. Due to his enhanced senses, it did not take long before the sounds of a battle reached his ears. Pinpointing the direction of the battle, Adrian allowed his speed to carry him there and his eyes widened at the sight.

Off to his left, Sypha was dealing with a large, pointed eared night creature with a spear in its hands and poison on its breath. To his right, a fallen creature lay destroyed on the ground and one was attempting to take down Trevor and his whip cracked burning welts into the night creature's skin.

Knowing that at least one of the creatures had to be in charge, Adrian rushed into battle towards the direction of Trevor.

"Stop!" He cried as he tried to channel whatever authoritative voice he could when he spoke. "I said stop!"

Both the creature and Trevor froze as he dashed between the two, his golden gaze focused on the night creature.

"Oi, brat! What are you-?!"

"I said stop!" Adrian cried once more, cutting Trevor off yet not looking at him. Before him, the night creature stood still and its beady eyes stared down at him. "Do not attack! Leave these two humans alone!"

The night creature continued to stare down at him.

"Kid, just move and let me handle it."

Adrian grumbled just loud enough for Trevor to hear. "Yeah, well, soon you won't have to deal with me or it."

"What are you-?"

"Do not attack! Just...take me back home and leave them alone!" Adrian demanded as he tried to sound commanding once more.

Again, the night creature stared down at him. Then, after a few seconds, it moved. At first, Adrian thought it would listen to him (his father, Hector, and Issac all said that they would since they wanted to keep Adrian safe) and the creature even moved to pick him up. However, instead of being carried away, the creature just placed him to the side before attacking Trevor once more, and it looked as though it was attacking even more viciously.

"Shit!" Trevor cursed as he leapt out of the creature's reach and flung his whip out, cracking it against its throat. The beast let out a cry of pain but before anything could happen, the creature's throat exploded and it too died.

Panting, Trevor whipped his head around to glare at the dhampir who's golden gaze was locked on the destroyed night creature. "What the fuck was that!?"

"I…"

"Adrian!" Sypha cried as she came up to the two, having dealt with her own creature. Taking note of the air around the two, she slowed her steps and her gaze flickered between the two of them. "What happened?"

"This shithead tried to run away!"

"I was trying to make it stop!" Adrian hissed, snapping out of his shock. "I was trying to help!"

"Oh, by running away with it?!"

"I wanted to go home! Besides, it should have stopped! It should have listened!" Tears of frustration bloomed in his eyes. "I don't understand why it didn't!"

"Really? You don't understand why it didn't?" Trevor scoffed. "As far as I'm concerned, those creatures only care about killing humans! Of course they wouldn't have fucking stopped?!"

"Well, you were fighting it!" Adrian protested.

"Ok, let's say that it was because we were fighting." Trevor growled, his hand flying out to point in the direction the town had been. "Then explain to me why a town full of innocent people were fucking killed?! Why are multiple towns fighting to survive as night creatures continue to ravage their homes long after any defense was slaughtered!?"

"I…"

"Trevor, calm down." Sypha spoke up, trying to calm the other.

"No! Sypha, this fucker tried to leave with one of those things!"

"Because I wanted to go home and keep you from getting hurt!" Adrian shot back, his golden eyes glaring. "You said you would help me get home! This was my way home!"

"What, so you could go back to your daddy to protect you?"

"Yes! And maybe I could get him to stop the war! I...I could talk to him!"

Trevor let out a barking laugh. "Oh, that's a fucking great idea! Of course, just go up to Dracula and ask him nicely to stop slaughtering the human race! Why didn't we think of that, Sypha?"

"Trevor-"

"You know?" Adrian squeaked out, his eyes losing their fierceness to fear.

Trevor rolled his eyes. "Of course. Not like it was hard to figure out once we put the clues together."

"And, you won't kill me?"

"...No, not unless you provoke me." Trevor answered honestly, only for his gaze to harden. "I won't kill an innocent. I'm not a monster like your father." With that, he stalked away from the two, leaving Sypha staring after him and Adrian looking to the ground with tears in his eyes once again.

Sypha had been frozen by the words the other had spoken. Looking back to where the young dhampir stood, she made her way in front of him and kneeled down to look at him.

"Adrian, don't take what Trevor said to heart, ok? He's just...mad and worried."

Adrian's brow furrowed. "Why would he be worried?"

"Because you ran out into battle between him and that night creature."

"I can defend myself!"

"I don't think that's what he was worried about." Sypha sighed, trying to get the boy to understand. "What if Trevor was in the middle of an attack and the whip hit you? It is called 'Vampire Killer' for a reason."

"It didn't make me explode before." Adrian stubbornly pointed out.

"Yes, you are right. But it also wasn't a direct hit, and that could have happened right there." Sypha softened and looked down at the snowy ground. "Adrian, after last night...we were worried. Trevor won't admit it, but we both were. You were so, so scared and we couldn't do anything to help, not really. I know we haven't known you for long, but we both care about you and I, despite our first encounter, I don't think Trevor wants to add to your scars." Her finger trailed along the teardrop like scar on his face.

Adrian flinched slightly at the touch, but before Sypha could take her hand back, the boy leaned into the touch. He couldn't help it. Just as the two humans had grown closer to him in this short amount of time, Adrian had grown close to them as well. Despite their first encounter, he felt comfortable with these two. True, he was still confused about what was going on and why his father was suddenly being turned into the bad guy, and Trevor's current cutting words were not welcome. Yet, Adrian was comfortable with these two.

"I'm sorry." Adrian apologized. Not so much for running into battle, but for worrying them. "I just...I wanted you guys to be ok and...and then I could have also gone home."

"I know Adrian."

"When...when did you guys figure out who I was?" Adrian asked, his golden gaze flickering to hers.

"Well, we put the pieces together only a little while ago. We were hoping to have you tell us but…" She shrugged. "Trevor has a bit of a temper."

Adrian bit his lip. "And...and you really won't hurt me?" He wasn't asking because he thought they would, not from what they've shown him sense the first meeting, but he needed to be sure. His fear of humans and vampire hunters was ingrained in him after all.

"No."

"But...but you're going to hurt my dad." And thus, his conflicted emotions raise once more.

Sypha took a deep breath. "Yes...yes that is what we are heading out to do." Adrian frowned. "Look, I know...I know it must hurt to hear that and Trevor could have...put it a bit more lightly. But Adrian...Adrian your father is hurting a lot of innocent people and he needs to be stopped."

"But...my dad doesn't seem like a monster."

"No, of course not." Sypha cooed. "I'm sure he loves you Adrian, so he is kind to you. But...if what you said is true...then he also loved your mother. I'm guessing...that that is why this is all happening. Does that sound right? Is your father doing this because you and your mother were...attacked?" She tried to ask lightly, to hopefully not trigger the poor emotional boy into another panic attack.

Adrian swallowed. "M-Maybe…"

"But Adrian...do you want your father killing people? Did...do you think your mother would want this?"

Adrian's brow furrowed as he struggled to think of the answer. Would she? He knows that, as much as he appreciates his father's protection, he wouldn't want people to be killed just because he was hurt. As scared as he was of humans, that did not make him bloodthirsty. His mother had taught him to care for all living things, that's why she was a doctor after all.

Thinking about his mother also brought to his mind all her teachings and caring attitude to the other humans. For a second, that blazing fire appeared in his mind once more causing his hands to clench and his breath to hitch. He could almost make out his mother's voice through the cries of the humans and the crackling of the fire. She was saying something, something besides his name and her screams.

Adrian hissed as a sharp pain went through his head.

"Adrian?" Sypha's voice broke him from this thoughts and he brought his gaze back to hers from where it had dropped to the ground.

He swallowed. "No...no I don't...I don't think she would."

"...ok," Sypha said as her eyes roamed over the dhampir's face to check him over. "Ok, alright. Then...do you want to stay with us? I know...I know you wanted to leave but we want to stop this war. Do you want to help us stop it?"

Adrian bit his lip. "But...I don't want to kill my dad."

Sypha's shoulders slumped. "Of course you don't and we won't make you." She trailed off, her gaze going off to the side in thought before a spark lit in them. " But maybe we can find a different way to stop him. You see Adrian, we have been traveling to the Belmont hold. We were looking for a way to track down Dracula's moving castle since we want to have the advantage when we go to the castle. However, we might find a way to stop your dad without killing him."

"I could also talk to him." Adrian tried once more. "And if we go with the night creatures, we might be able to find the castle."

"Well, in terms of the night creatures, we don't want to risk being taken prisoner, or the castle moving before we get inside."

Adrian pursed his lips. "That makes sense. The vampires and night creatures could smell you."

Sypha smiled. "Exactly. As for your other suggestion, we could try it, but we would like to be ready to help you if he doesn't listen, ok?"

"Ok." Taking a deep breath, Adrian stood up taller with a determined look in his eye. "Ok, I'll help you."

Sypha also stood up and smiled with a clap of her hand. "Wonderful! Now, let's go back. Hopefully that hothead has had a chance to calm down."

As they started walking back to the camp, Adrian spoke up. "Umm, can I yell at him?"

Sypha looked at Adrian and let out a chuckle. "Sure. I won't stop you."

With a nod, Adrian focused on making it to the camp.

At the camp, they found Trevor slumped against the wagon, hand over his face. At their footsteps, he looked up and scowled, but it wasn't as harsh as it had been earlier. If anything, Adrian would say he looked a little ashamed but it was hard to say exactly.

"Look, kid-"

"You're a bastard."

Silence.

Trevor and Sypha both stared in shock at the dhampir, but Adrian only stood there, arms crossed and glaring at Trevor. After a beat, Sypha started cracking up and Trevor couldn't stop gapping at the boy.

"W-What the fuck!?"

"I said you're a bastard." Adrian repeated. "What you said was mean."

"I...uh...yeah I get that...I was going to...uh...you know…" Trevor stumbled his way awkwardly through his attempt at an apology.

At that Adrian tilted his head. "Don't hurt yourself." He said as he began to climb back into the wagon.

"W-Wha-! Sypha! Are you just going to let him act like this!"

Sypha was holding her stomach and crouched over with how hard she was laughing. "I-I'm….haha...s-sorry! This is too funny!"

"Why didn't you yell at him for his language?!"

"Because you deserve it!" Sypha shot back. "Besides, he learned it from you!"

Trevor continued to scowl at the Speaker when a small hand touched his shoulder. Turning, he found Adrian poking his head out of the wagon with Trevors cloak in his hand.

"Here."

Trevor looked down at the black cloak before back up at the boy holding it own. Pursing his lips, Trevor turned away and waved his hand dismissively at the boy.

"Keep it. We'll be heading out soon and you're so cold you could use the warmth."

Blinking in shock, Adrian stared at the other before clutching the cloak to his chest. The cloak made him feel safe, and Trevor letting him keep it for the ride warmed his heart.

"Thank you." Adrian mumbled before disappearing under the cover of the wagon. His voice carried over from the other side. "Now you're just a jerk."

"I can take that back you know!"

Sypha made her way over, still cackling. "Come now, Trevor. You've been upgraded from a bastard to a jerk!"

"Is that supposed to make me feel better?!"

Inside the wagon, Adrian stared down at the cloak before wrapping it around himself and burrowing into its warmth with an embarrassed flush to his face.

* * *

**So that was that. Did I make your feelings go on a roller-coaster? I hope so. Anywho, now we see how crazy Dracula is. He might be loosing it a bit. It shall only get worse. Sypha and Trevor finally know who Adrian is. Adrian is really conflicted. Trevor was a bit of an ass. Adrian wants to stop his dad though...Lets see where all this goes!**

**Feel free to comment, ask questions, etc.**

**Until next time! :D**


	9. Chapter 9

**OK so this is a new chapter!**

**Thank you all who review/follow/favorite the story! As well as those who just read it!**

**I don't own Castlevania by the way. I'm stating this again because I use some lines from the show...**

**Anywho, this turned out longer than I expected. There will be some foreshadowing in this. There will also be more emotions! Yay!**

**Also**

**_This is the past _**

**Onto the chapter!**

* * *

The woods around them seemed to grow quieter as they neared their destination. The night sky cast a sombre feeling around them and the dead woods around them only added to the feeling. Adrian was curled up in the back of the wagon, head nodding as he tried to stay awake. Upfront, Sypha held the reins while Trevor relaxed, back against the backrest of the seat. Glancing out of the corner of his eye, Trevor suddenly spoke up, his voice like thunder against the soft clacking of the horse's hooves.

"There," He said, turning to look at the woods. Even Adrian jolted at the words, scrambling to see what the hunter had spotted. For a second, nothing seemed to stand out, and when Sypha gave the man a questioning look, Trevor pointed behind her to a large, worn down tree that was split down the middle. "That was my tree. I used to play in that tree." He lowered his hand. "We're near the house."

"It's...hard to imagine you playing." Sypha spoke after Trevor fell quiet once more.

Trevor's face grew soft in remembrance as he let out a soft, amused huff. "Yes...I suppose so." He looked forward, eyes glazed as his mind took him back to those memories. "It was everything, that tree. It was my house and my boat and my fort." A frown came to his lips. "Anything I wanted it to be." He let out a long sigh and looked back to the tree as they passed by. "Goodnight tree."

They fell into silence once more and neither Sypha nor Adrian wanted to break it. Adrian moved to the back of the wagon to catch one last glimpse of the tree, his golden gaze traveling over it as he tried to picture Trevor playing on it.

As they moved deeper, the road eventually opened up to a large walkway that surrounded a fountain. They stopped on the pathway that was framed by worn rails and blocked off the empty fountain. From where they were, the path continued up to what must have been a majestic mansion. Crumbling stone walls climbed high above their heads to form turrets and graceful arches. The shell that remained of the mansion teased the idea of what the building had been before ash coated its stone walls. Even Adrian, who lived in a castle much larger than this, could not help but take in what remained of the Belmont home.

A mournful sigh left Trevors lips before he and the others made their way into the crumbling mansion. Standing out of Adrian's sight, Sypha allowed a small flame to light the way for the group as they made their way past the main entrance of the mansion. Adrian's eyes had flickered to the flame in fear, but directed his gaze away as he clung to Trevor's cloak (which was back around the hunter's shoulders), keeping him between the dhampir and the flame.

"So this was your home." Sypha said, knowing it did not need to be asked.

"Yeah," Trevor sighed, eyes trailing around the collapsing walls and heaps of rubble. Above, the night sky shined down as the lack of a roof provided no shelter.

"You grew up here." Her voice was soft.

"Yeah."

Sypha's hands traced the remains of a staircase. "I can't imagine what it was like to grow up in a single place." She turned to look over at Trevor, who had knelt down in an open area and was seeping away the dust and ash that coated the floor.

"Mmm...it...it was fine." He swallowed, but still did not turn to her. At his side, Adrian tightened his grip on the other, not out of fear, but support. "Wasn't the worst way to grow up."

Adrian bit his lip and hesitantly asked. "How...How old were you?"

Trevor glanced at the boy out of the corner of his eye before looking away and closing them with a soft sigh. "Oh...I don't know...a little older than you are now? Like...thirteen, fourteen, something like that."

"You've been on your own since you were thirteen?" Sypha asked, coming up behind the two.

"Maybe twelve…" Trevor tried to hide the slight waver in his voice, but Adrian caught it. "But who remembers that sort of thing." He looked to Adrian and tried to give a smile. "I just know I looked a bit like you, brat. Maybe a little bigger."

Adrian only frowned.

"What's with that face?" Trevor asked as he stood, his hand moving to ruffle the kid's hair.

"You...you were only a little older than me when…" Adrian's voice trailed off, brows furrowing.

"Yup, but as you can see, I turned out fine." Trevor huffed, placing his hand on Adrian's shoulder. "Look at the two of us, defying odds." Then he dragged his other hand through his hair as he let out an amused chuckle. "Who would have thought I'd be relating to the son of fucking Dracula of all things."

Adrian couldn't help but let out his own laugh at that. He never thought he'd relate to a Belmont of all things. Behind them, Sypha had a soft smile of her own.

Their soft laughs trailed off and soon they were shifting through the rubble once again. Over time, Adrian was able to feel a little more comfortable and drift away from Trevor's side slightly. They moved stones and their hands were covered in dirt and dust. Trevor tried to find his way through the destroyed rooms through memory, hoping he'd be able to remember something that led them to the hold.

Eventually, as Trevor shifted aside rubble on the ground in one of the still standing corners, gold glinted up from beneath.

"I think this is it." He breathed, turning to look at Sypha and Adrian.

Trevor began to lift the stones from the ground, grunting as he had to move the heavy pieces. Off to the side, Adrian watched Trevor struggle a bit before he moved forward and began lifting the stones with ease, his vampire half giving him superior strength. He knew if his father was lifting the stones, it would take no time to move, but Adrian was still young so even with his enhanced strength, he needed to use both hands to move the larger stones.

Both Trevor and Sypha blink a little in shock at how easily the dhampir was moving the stones, the blonde not even breaking a sweat at the work he was doing. After a few moments, the slab beneath the rubble was revealed.

Stepping back a bit, Adrian tilted his head in confusion. "It's a big stone?"

"It's the door." Trevor replied, kneeling before it, brows furrowing.

"Do we lift it? Or…" Sypha trailed off, hoping Trevor would fill in the gap but he said nothing.

Pursing his lips, Adrian moved forward to try to lift the stone. While he knew he probably won't be able to lift it all on his own, he could start it and the others could help him the rest of the way. However, that thought was interrupted because as Adrian attempted to grasp the stone, his had could find no purchase on it.

"I can't grab it." Adrian spoke up.

Sypha hummed as she moved forward, kneeling down and tracing her fingers over the engravings of the stone. "Hm...ah I see now. You won't be able to lift it."

"Well, my family got it up somehow." Trevor grumbled. "I was taken down there as a child."

"Did you see them lift it?"

"No, they brought me through it once it was open. They told me they'd teach me how to do it one day. I suppose there was a...special trick."

Sypha hummed once more. "Were your parent's magicians?"

"Not as such." Trevor replied. "I mean, they knew a lot of stuff but this door was put in by one of our ancestors."

"Well, I guess the special trick was passed down the generations the way we Speakers transmit knowledge. Your parents knew the trick but...they didn't know where it came from, or what it really was." She sat back on her heels. "Stand back." She told the two, who moved behind her. The flame in her hand was put out and the area remained only lit by the light of the moon as Sypha began chanting. As her words continued to flow out, a soft blue glow began to shine from the slab. At the height of the spell, soft blue wings extended from the slab and, with a flap, were gone, taking the door with it. With the slab gone, the three could see steps leading down into the floor.

"Open sesame." Sypha said, letting her hands fall back to her side.

Adrian stepped forward in awe before looking up at Sypha. "Was that Enochian?"

Sypha blinked, taken aback by the question before smiling. "It was. How did you know?"

"It was a language in some of the books at home." Adrian replied with a shrug. "A lot of interesting stuff was in those. Sometimes my dad would read them to me." Then his eyes widened. "Wait, wasn't this considered an occult language?"

"Why yes, yes it was." Sypha replied with a laugh.

Adrian turned to Trevor. "You had a magic door opened by an occult language!"

"I didn't know it was a fucking magic door." Trevor grumbled as he began making his way into the hold.

"You know, Trevor, the word 'teloch' means 'death'." Sypha teases as she relit the flame in her hand when Adrian started going down the stairs.

"Shut up."

Adrian giggled behind his hand as he followed. "It's the magical door of death!"

"I will hit you."

"No you won't!" Sypha sang as she came up on the other side of Trevor, a smirk on her lips.

"Desperate times call for desperate measures." This only produced more laughter from the two beside him.

They made their way down the steps and both Adrian's and Sypha's eyes widened when they were met with the large circular staircase at the bottom. It had a grand feeling to it with the large tapestries depicting the Belmont crest and the picture of an ancestor at the far end of the room. When Adrian rushed forward to look over the railing, he gasped in awe at the spiral that led down.

"Wow."

Trevor smirked, a glint of pride in his eyes at the dhampir's reaction. "This is just the staircase, kid. You haven't seen anything yet."

As they made their way down, Sypha hummed in thought. "Belmont isn't even a Wallachian name, it just dawned on me."

"No," Trevor replied. "The family originated from the kingdom of France, but we moved out of there a few hundred years ago."

"Why?" Adrian asked, looking up at the hunter, a quirk to one of his eyebrows. "Were you chased out?" He knew people moved, but as someone who grew up living in a moving castle and surrounded by science and magic that he knew others did not have, he sometimes wondered why people would leave their homes forever. Speakers he knew did not have a permanent place, but if the Belmonts had a mansion like this in France, why move?

"No, we were not chased out." Trevor huffed. "We're professionals. We move where the work is."

"What does that mean?" Sypha asked. They made it to the bottom of the stairs and for a moment, Adrian directed his gaze to the patterned floor.

"Well, all the dark things moved into the east." Trevor replied as he moved to open the door at the end, struggling slightly with the rusty handle. "I think it was...uh...Leon Belmont that entered the region first. And he built this house," The door opened and the three made their way through it. "And dug the foundations for everything under it."

The door opened up to a massive room. The shadows of this place were so deep that they could barely make out the bottom of the cavernous space. Out of the corner of her eye, Sypha caught sight of a lamp hanging on the wooden post that stretched from floor to ceiling, wherever the ceiling ended that was.

"Adrian, close your eyes for a moment." Sypha demanded, looking at the boy. He gave her an odd look at first but a gesture to the empty lamp helped him understand. With a sharp nod, he covered his eyes and, unconsciously, tensed his body at the thought of what was to happen. Wanting it done quickly, Sypha clasped her hands together and allowed the flame that had been in her palm to break apart. The gossamer like tongues of fire whipped out to light each of the empty glass lamps. Her eyes widened as the room lit up before the three, Adrian peeking through his hands at the sound of her awe.

There were layers of balconies from where they stood to the floor with pathways crisscrossing to connect all of the platforms. Shelves upon shelves built up like the walls of a maze upon each platform, each a colorful collection of books and viles. Cases filled with remains and odd objects speckled through the horde of dusty books. Near one of the walls, the bones of some monster hung suspended by chains. There were broken statues huddled in one area and tapestries projecting the Belmont crest hung from every layer of the hold.

"Wow." Sypha breathed, eyes unable to stay focused on one area as she struggled to take in everything she could see.

"That's...a lot." Adrian choked out, golden eyes also looking at everything he could. A familiar twisted feeling rose up within him at the sight, a feeling of confliction. Yes, everything was amazing, especially to his young and inquisitive mind. However, at the same time, this was a labyrinth of information dedicated to years of information of killing his kind. The bones suspended made him shiver slightly. He did not recognize the creature and, while he would love to know more about it, was desturbed at the thought it was hunted and brought back to be a trophy of some sort.

"How are we going to find anything in this place?" Sypha wondered, turning to look at Trevor who was gazing at the hold with a faraway look in his blue eyes.

He blinked at her question before turning to head down the stairs, the other two scrambling to follow him. "There's an index on the lectern at the bottom. Afterall, there's...generations of information here. All the knowledge about that we have found and learned since the days of Leon Belmont."

"Amazing!" Sypha breathed, her pace picking up to reach the bottom of the stairs. Adrian remained a step behind the two, unable to help the small shiver he felt as he descended the stairs himself.

Once they reached the base floor of the hold, Sypha flew to the lectern in the room, blowing the dust from it and opening the cover, fingers flying over the words she was seeing. Trevor let his hands trail over the dusty shelves in memory, before a broken shelf caught his eye. Moving closer, his eyes widened at the chest behind it.

"It can't be." He breathed, knocking away the remaining pieces of wood in front of it.

"What is it?" Sypha called over to him, but he didn't reply, focusing on pulling the chest out from the cobweb covered opening. Once he had it in the center of the room, he used a knife to break open the lock on the front. With a click, it fell off and the chest lit up. When the glow faded, Trevor opened the chest and laughed joyfully at what was inside.

"I can't believe it!" Trevor cried, fingering the chain in his hands.

"What?" Sypha called again, this time glancing up from the book. At the chain whip in his hand she tilts her head. "What is that?"

"This...is the Morning Star." Trevor sighed, eyes gleaming. "I can't believe they hid it."

Rolling her eyes Sypha turned back to the book, eyes tracing over the pages open before her. Soon, she realized that the book indeed seemed to categorize everything within the hold and her eyes sparkled at the information. "It's all here. You're right!"

"Of course I am." Trevor huffed.

"Isn't all of this amazing Adrian?" Sypha exclaimed, her gaze seeking out the young boy only for the excitement to fade away when she found him. His small form was standing in front of a large shelving unit covered with glass. His arms were wrapped around his chest as though he could comfort himself as his gaze was locked on the components of the shelves. Within the glass sat dozens of vampire skulls, their soulless eye sockets gazing back out with a chilling blackness.

"Adrian, why don't you step away from there." Sypha called, but the boy did not listen. Instead, he allowed the reflection of his confused gaze to meet theirs in the glass.

"Why...Why do you have so many bones?" He asked, voice wavering slightly. "Why...so many skulls?"

Trevor froze and even Sypha turned to him, hoping he would be able to comfort the child.

"Er...well...um, we took them for research, so we knew what we were up against. As hunters, we needed to be prepared to fight off creatures of the night."

"But...there are so many skulls…"

"Perhaps there were changes in the vampires over time or...something….uh…" Trevor trailed off. Honestly, most of those skulls were probably trophies more than the subjects of research. He remembered some stories he was told when he was younger, about the great dangers that were faced and the trophies his ancestors had to remember their struggle.

"Something...like trophies or a warning…."

Trevor winced. Right. Despite the kid being young, he wasn't an idiot.

"Look, Adrian-"

"I know...I know some people do that." Adrian muttered, gaze still distantly staring into the case. "Even my father did that...in the past."

"Adrian-"

"My mother didn't like to tell me about it, but I heard some." Adrian continued, not listening to the older people in the room. "But...it's hard not to hear when that's what your dad is famous for. I heard how he would put people on pikes outside his castle and in places he attacked. Almost like his symbol...but my mom changed him...she made sure he stopped...so no one innocent got hurt."

"And that's what my family did, Adrian, what we are doing now." Trevor spoke slowly, "We hunted those that hurt the innocent."

"But how do you know they were all dangerous?" Adrian whispered. As he had been talking, both Sypha and Trevor had moved closer, wanting to pull the young gaze away from the case of horrors. It was as they grew closer that they saw what he was looking at. That golden gaze was centered on one of the skulls in specific. This skull was much smaller than the others around it, with larger eye sockets as though it had still been developing. Even the fangs were small, tiny pricks in the jaw.

This time, they both winced.

"Adrian listen to me," Trevor spoke up, swallowing back in nervousness. "Listen when I say my family only hunted monsters that were attacking innocent people."

"But how do you know the monsters weren't innocent?" Adrian bit back, eyes flickering to Trevor for a moment. "You got your information from people, right? From humans?"

"Yes, but we also looked into it ourselves." Trevor replied. "We only hunted what was deemed a danger to innocent people and even to other night creatures in some cases. If anyone ever hurt an innocent night creature, they should be rolling in their grave. But I know we only killed what was considered a threat."

"And what about the humans?" Adrian asked, fits clenching.

"What?"

"What about the humans, who did wrong?" His eyes flashed and his teeth gritted. "What about the humans who hurt us? You said this war is hurting innocents, but why are all humans seen as innocent and we are all seen as monsters who need to be killed!"

"Now, wait, not all humans are innocent." Trevor shot back. "In fact, there are a lot of shitty humans. People who think killing others are shitty, the fucking church is shitty! Not all humans are innocent! I'm talking about the ones who kill the children who do nothing. The parents, who only want to care for their children-"

"But if they are innocent, why do they follow those who are evil!?" Adrian shot back, tears in his eyes. "Why do they sit back and let it happen? If they are innocent, why did they let your family be hunted down?!" It was more the words then the harsh tone that made Trevor flinch back as that golden gaze turned from him to Sypha. "Why did they...hic...w-why...why did they let them kill my mom?" His voice was choked off at the end, trailing off as tears made their way down his cheeks.

"Oh, Adrian…" Sypha sighed, her own eyes prickling as she moved closer.

Adrian wiped at his eyes, his wrist hovering over one as though it would keep the tears at bay. "S-She...she just w-wanted to help...help people! Hic...w-why di-d they...they kill her? W-Why did th-they che-er a-and…"

"Sh...sh, come here." Sypha cooed, pulling the sobbing boy into her arms and shuffling them away from the case of skulls.

"W-Why…?"

"Some people...they just don't know about these things." Sypha said softly, stroking his blonde locks. "And they get scared of new and different things. But they are not really bad. They are just scared."

"...T-They don't...know?" Adrian blinked, those words sounding familiar but couldn't place it. It was more than just the words themselve, but the content in which they were being said.

"That's right. Just like...how you were confused over the village. You didn't know more than what you were taught. It is the same with people. They don't know sometimes what they are doing, but that doesn't mean they should be hurt."

"...they don't know…" The words were whispered as Adrian began to calm down.

As his sobs tapered off and all that remained were some soft sniffles, Adrian pulled himself out of Sypha's arms. His own came back up to hug himself, and his gaze stuck to the floor.

"I'm sorry." He muttered to Trevor.

The man in return ran a hand through his hair and he replied. "It's...alright. I understand." All too well. "And I'll say this again, but I won't hurt anything that doesn't deserve it, alright? And I'll only kill the threats that need to be killed. Ok?"

"Ok."

"Now, beat up a few idiots here and there…" This got a small laugh from the boy.

"Trevor." Sypha sighed.

"What? I'm being honest with the kid. I'll only kill the real big threats, but a punch here or there won't do any harm."

"You can punch my dad when we get to him." Adrian spoke up, making the two look back at him.

"Huh?" Trevor asked.

"My dad. When we get to him, and after I talk to him and make him understand, then you can punch him for being an idiot." Adrian responded. "After all, if he stops being a threat, then you don't have to kill him."

"Adrian-"

"Do you want to take a moment before we start looking?" Sypha asked, interrupting Trevor before he could say anything. "Drink some water?"

"No," Adrian replied. "No we...we need to start looking. We need to find things that can help us get to the castle, right?"

"Yes."

"Then we should do that." Adrian huffed, a new determined look on his face. Sypha couldn't help but admire the strength of this boy. In the course of a few days, everything he knew was torn out from under him and, despite the break downs (which were understandable if you asked her), he pulled himself back up to continue their mission, a mission that wasn't even his to begin with.

"...Ok," Sypha replied, "Can you start by going to this section?" She moved them over to the book and showed him the section she was talking about. "We'll split up, try to see what we can find."

With a determined nod, Adrian took off.

Left behind, the two humans watched him take off and waited for him to be long out of their sight before talking in hushed tones.

"Trevor-"

"You're really going to let him think we can save Dracula?"

"Trevor-"

"Sypha, look-"

"No, listen." She cut him off, voice firm. "I know that it probably won't happen. Dracula has done too much to just...let him go. But...Adrian was so hopeful. But I did warn him that...that talking to him might not...make him listen."

"Sypha, do you want to know why Leon came here, to Wallachia?"

"Why?"

"He was hunting Dracula." Trevor stated, staring her in the eye. "He was hunting Dracula because the man had destroyed countless towns and torn apart many people. Adrian wasn't wrong when he said people would be found staked on a stick like a warning sign. And someone like that, someone who takes the time to make a message out of those he kills and any other twisted thing he did is not someone who just turns a new leaf. I bet that, when Adrian said his mother was able to make him a better person, that she changed him, that he just toned it down. Dracula probably came to tolerate the humans for his wife and kept anything he did small and unknowable. Oh, I'm sure he took care of his family, loved them and all of that, but he won't just change at a snap of someone's fingers, no matter how much he loves them.

"You think he still killed people."

"Probably, just wasn't sticking them on pikes." Trevor huffed crossing his arms. "You don't become Lord of the Vampires for nothing. And he definitely didn't just give up that title. And to escalate to where we are now," He shook his head. "You definitely needed to have some hatred before the death of your wife and torture of your son. And with Adrian out of his sight? He's probably going even more bat shit crazy. I doubt he'll listen to anything."

"Well, what do you want to do?" Sypha huffed. "I warned Adrian, but he isn't just going to give up on his father."

"Of course not." Trevor replied. "That's fucking obvious."

"Well, then?"

Trevor threw his hands up. "Don't look at me. I don't...comfort people."

Sypha sighed, rubbing her fingers on her nose. "I will think about it. I guess, until we find an answer to the castle situation, we have time." Shaking her head, she moved to the index once more. "Come on, this is your library. Help me start looking."

* * *

Adrian was scouring the shelves before him as he looked for anything that might give him a clue about magical teleportation and anything that could relate back to the castle. His skin crawled whenever he came across some odd knickknack here or there, especially when it seemed to be the remains of some creature. But he swallowed his fear down. He was still a little embarrassed by his breakdown earlier, the horror of what he had seen getting to him. He needed to be strong, needed to be strong enough to get back to his dad and talk to him.

After all, if his dad just understood things like he was beginning to understand, then maybe he wouldn't be as angry at the people. Maybe he won't be considered a threat anymore and Trevor and Sypha won't have to kill him.

As these thoughts passed through his mind, the corner of his eye caught sight of one of the lanterns on the wall. The flame inside made him flinch and shiver, adding to the crawling feeling on his skin. Swallowing, he tried to shake off his fear, closing his eyes to block off the sight of the flame. It was just like the torches in his home, small and manageable flames. It won't do anything.

His fingers clenched into his arms when they came up as a shield. His teeth gritted, tense and agitated. He has had too many breakdowns. He needed to be strong. His father had always said it was alright, that he would protect him and that Adrian could take his time with his fear, but his father wasn't here. Sure, Trevor and Sypha were trying to help him as well, but he couldn't keep falling apart on them, especially when they needed his help to get back to the castle. He needed to be strong to fight against anything that may want to hurt Sypha and Trevor. After all, that night creature didn't listen to him before, so what if there were too many attacking Sypha and Trevor? He needed to be able to fight.

He couldn't let his fear of fire pull him down. Not again. After all, that's how he got captured in the first place.

Digging his nails into his arms, Adrian forced himself to look into the flame before him, to be strong. Strong like Sypha, like Trevor, like his father, like...like his mother.

The thought of his mother made him flinch back slightly from the flames, those memories tearing at his mind once more. His breathing picked up a bit and echoes of his mother's screams reached his ears. However, there was something different to them this time, some other words sparking through the crackling of the flames and shouting of the people.

Gritting his teeth, he looked back at the flame. He just wanted to know-!

To know. Something about that clicked in his brain and he could hear suddenly past the screams of the people. Words he had understood at the time they were being said, but was too traumatized to process them fully before fear took over completely.

**_"Please!" She cried. "Spare them! If you can hear...hear me, d-don't harm them-AH!" Her breaths came out as a combination of pants and coughs through her cries of pain and tears. "D-Don't hurt them, plea-Ah-se! They do not know what they...they are doing!"_**

The words showed through very clearly. Though the image that came with the words was fuzzy and any focusing on the event made his conscious mind back off in warning, the words still come through to him.

His mother had told him that, hadn't she? That these people did not understand, did not know what they were doing was wrong. That these people were innocent. And Adrian knew this even if he could not remember his own response to the words at that time. Now he understood that they were innocent, just clueless. They all didn't need to be hurt.

Besides, he didn't want to see people hurt. Not really.

And his mother didn't want that either.

Taking a shuddering breath, Adrian looked away from the flames. They still sent a shiver up his spine from where they flickered in the corner of his vision, fear of the pain they were associated with still very fresh, but he remembered now. He always knew his mother had been strong from him during the attack, but now he remembered her strength even as...even as that happened to her (thinking of her charred remains still sent his mind into a shock, still unwilling to process that with an open mind).

His mother had been strong and wanted to help him understand the chaos around him.

Now, it was his turn to help his father understand.

* * *

**And there you go. Another really long chapter! With some foreshadowing, of course. Also I cried a bit as I wrote it, but I won't say where.**

**So Adrian has had a small revelation. Yay. also, I meant for this chapter to have more, but then the whole emotional stuff happened and it reached over 5000 words so I was like, alright we'll do more next chapter.**

**Also, yes, I know I have made Adrian cry a lot. But look at it this way. the kid watched his mom burn alive and was tortured at the same time a year before this, got some ptsd, had been with his dad since because the humans are scary, got ripped/kidnapped from his home via his worst fear, left in the middle of no where, found by the person who is supposed to kill his kind, stays with them, sees a scary village covered in blood, finds out that his dad is doing some bad stuff and not all people are bad, and has had to face both his fear and the Belmont hold in less then probably three or four days. Maybe more, maybe less. And in all of this he is a 10 year old (body and mind slightly older!). Kid is allowed to break down. **

**Also, heads up, I do plan to go into season three with this story. That said, it should give you some idea where this is going as well as the fact that shit isn't going to get necessarily easier for Adrian. Now, some things will definitely not happen (cough sumixtakaxadrian cough no smut, let alone underage smut thank you very much. Not getting that here) but that also means new things will happen! **

**SO yeah, heads up.**

**Feel free to comment and stuff.**

**Until next time! :D**


End file.
